Impact of motor impairment on full-screen touch interaction

Although an increasing number of new assistive technologies are being designed for use with touchscreen systems, such as Android or iOS tablets, many users of assistive technology may have upper limb motor impairments (e.g. tremors, spasms, or reduced mobility) that make using standard touchscreen technology difficult and frustrating. This work explores alternative approaches to the standard 'lift-move-touch' interaction sequence on current touchscreens. To help improve the accessibility of touchscreen technologies, we studied the movement patterns of 15 individuals with progressive neurological disorders and upper limb motor impairments. This paper presents the quantitative results of our study, observations of functional compensation patterns, and the personal feedback from study participants. The results of this work are an evidence-based roadmap towards more personalized and adaptive touchscreen interfaces, especially for users of assistive technology.