Improve Mobile Payment Accessibility for People with Visual Impairment

Abstract

This thesis takes an inclusive design approach to understand the mismatches between people with visual impairment (PVIs) and the current payment infrastructure in the Netherlands. The research applies existing Inclusive Design and general UX design methods to the context of payment to reveal latent user needs and co-design solutions. Design for Emotion and Interaction Design methods were used to help the designer envisage and evaluate desirable payment flows. Moreover, while this project aims to improve payment accessibility for PVIs, it also serves as a case study to apply Inclusive Design methods to the context of payment.
The research reveals the inaccessibility interfaces of the current payment system often force PVIs to skip important steps of their payment, such as confirming the final amount. Moreover, POS machines and kiosks afford very different experiences for PVIs and sighted people. As a result, when PVIs seek help from sighted people, they often receive unreliable and inaccessible information. The project results in a secure payment transaction design proposal in which PVIs can experience control.