720451Accessibility Pad (aPad)ClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKThe aPad project will undertake development of a prototype device for the provision of accessibility software. This will address Vision Impaired (VI) access to reading materials available on ‘tablet-form’ devices as mainstream computer devices are difficult to use by someone who is not technically proficient and who has accessibility needs. Therefore a new generation of accessibility capability is required for mobile devices. The innovation activities are to: a) Overcome the identified constraints on the features required of tablet devices so that a generic accessibility software application can provide the required support for vision-impaired users; b) Address the problems of text/audio synchronisation in the delivery of EPUB3 (the international standard for eBooks) based content; c) Address the problems of making a web browsing experience as easy as possible for someone with restricted vision and where the features in web pages do not facilitate accessibility; d) Provide federated search, using the appropriate metadata in EPUB3 as provided for accessibility-enabled content, so that the appropriate books can be obtained. Successful deployment of VI accessibility software on ‘tablet-form’ devices will: a) Ensure that VI people can cross the digital divide and have affordable, mobile and userfriendly access to the Internet and relevant digital content. This will have significant social benefits in terms of greater mobility, increased integration into society, improved self-esteem and self-sufficiency; b) Enable providers of print-based content delivery devices to include this new accessibility software in their device and so ensure that the devices are accessibility-enabled. This will have economic benefits as well as social benefits through the reduction in CD production and packaging. The key deliverables are the evaluation of the new accessibility enabled applications through Prototype demonstrators using Android-based tablet devices.