Blind and Deaf Consumer Preferences for Android and iOS Smartphones

Access to and use of mobile wireless technology has become critical to social and economic participation for people with disabilities. As the technology increases in power and sophistication, these customers increasingly rely on mobile devices and software for functions previously available only through dedicated ‘assistive technology’. Successfully serving this large and growing population has become a market imperative as well as a legislative mandate for the wireless industry in the US. Competition for this market is especially keen between the Android and Apple’s iOS operating systems. This article presents survey research findings on the relative ease of use, importance and satisfaction experienced by blind and deaf customers using mobile devices on Android or iOS platforms. Focus group research conducted by the authors suggests that blind smartphone users overwhelmingly favour the iPhone, while deaf smartphone users show greater diversity in their device choices. Data collected through the Survey of User Needs (SUN) conducted by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC) are presented to test this finding with quantitative data, and to test differences between blind and deaf users in terms of ease of use and satisfaction with iPhone and Android smartphones.