Madhuka De Silva
Designing an Accessible Digital Voting Interface for Blind and Low Vision Voters
Research funded by and conducted at University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
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Awards
Awarded the best research by University of Colombo
Context
In Sri Lanka, voting is conducted using a paper based system. For voters who are blind or have low vision (BLV), this means relying on another person to cast their vote on their behalf at the polling station. This compromises privacy, independence, and the fundamental right to vote.
Problem
How can we design an accessible digital voting system that enables BLV voters in Sri Lanka to vote independently?
How the Design Evolved
The early prototype combined multiple elements: interactive PowerPoint slides on a touchscreen laptop, a custom tactile sleeve made from rigifoam, rubber buttons for input, and wireless headphones for audio instructions.
The final solution included two tactile interface options: one with physical buttons for users who preferred tactile input, and another with a touchscreen for those comfortable with touch-based interaction.
Research Skills and Methods
Understanding Diverse Stakeholder Perspectives
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Conducted interviews with election authorities (election commissioner) and leaders of blind organisations
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Interviewed 9 BLV voters with lived experience in current voting procedures
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Created personas and storyboards to communicate key user insights
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Conducted 8 workshops to prototype iteratively by gaining user feedback
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Conducted Usability testing with 10 blind and low vision people
Designing and Testing Solutions Iteratively
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Developed low- and high-fidelity prototypes of the voting interface
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Facilitated one-to-one design walkthroughs and co-ideation sessions
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Conducted usability testing combining both qualitative feedback and basic quantitative measures
Research Outcomes and Recognition
Contributed to accessibility research through peer-reviewed publications
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ACHI 2019: Design interactions for accessible voting
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HCII 2019: User evaluation of a multisensory voting interface
Design of a novel interface
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Created a novel multisensory prototype, evaluated by BLV users for usability and experience
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Awarded the best research award
What I reflect from the research
The most efficient solution is not always the most preferred,
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Many users were familiar with touch interfaces from smartphones, but found scanning the screen inconvenient.
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Some preferred physical buttons, valuing tactile feedback and ease of use, even if less efficient.