Wheeler: A Three-Wheeled Input Device for Usable, Efficient, and Versatile Non-Visual Interaction
Md Touhidul Islam, Noushad Sojib, Imran Kabir, Ashiqur Rahman Amit,, Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Syed Masum Billah

TL;DR
Wheeler is a three-wheeled input device designed to improve non-visual UI navigation for blind users, enabling faster and more versatile interaction with complex applications.
Contribution
The paper introduces Wheeler, a novel three-wheeled device that allows blind users to navigate multi-level UI hierarchies more efficiently and with greater versatility than traditional methods.
Findings
40% reduction in navigation time with Wheeler
Enables navigation of up to three hierarchical levels
Supports versatile tasks like 2D cursor manipulation
Abstract
Blind users rely on keyboards and assistive technologies like screen readers to interact with user interface (UI) elements. In modern applications with complex UI hierarchies, navigating to different UI elements poses a significant accessibility challenge. Users must listen to screen reader audio descriptions and press relevant keyboard keys one at a time. This paper introduces Wheeler, a novel three-wheeled, mouse-shaped stationary input device, to address this issue. Informed by participatory sessions, Wheeler enables blind users to navigate up to three hierarchical levels in an app independently using three wheels instead of navigating just one level at a time using a keyboard. The three wheels also offer versatility, allowing users to repurpose them for other tasks, such as 2D cursor manipulation. A study with 12 blind users indicates a significant reduction (40%) in navigation time…
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