How to build an accessible app for people with disabilities?

Honestly, we fell in love with this project at first sight because of its mission. The app is called “Mowaamah” which in Arabic means convenience. It strives towards being a support for people with various disabilities.

Our client, the private contractor of the Ministry of Labor (KSA), approached us with an existing app and a plan to improve it. The main application’s goal was not only to support people with disabilities, helping to live more actively, but also to educate other people about disabilities. The client wanted everyone in Saudi Arabia to understand that people with disabilities are an important part of society.

How does Mowaamah work?

The most important feature of the accessible app is the possibility to connect through a live video call with a volunteer or a sign language translator. Also, the app aims to help disabled people to find offers, discounts and welcoming places in their home cities.

The main problem of this key feature was the quality — both, the client and users, didn’t feel satisfied with the current solution. Feedback after video connection testing was that translators were not receiving calls promptly, and it was hard for them to answer calls and help people on time. Also, the quality of the video calls needed to be improved.

How to best improve an accessible app?

One key improvement that we focused on when building an accessible app was to add the status of a call. That includes the information on how many people are ahead of the caller or how much time he or she needs to wait to talk to a translator. This way, users could organize their time according to the status of a call, and decide if they want to stay on line.

Our client pointed out that video calls via Mowaamah need to have two options: “Be my eyes” which means a call to a volunteer, and the “Sign Language Translator”.

The time and budget that our client outlined indicated that the right way to proceed was to build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) from scratch.

What is the MVP?

MVP is the second stage of the Full Cycle Product Development process, which we use in Boldare to build products (we cut our work process into various phases). In a nutshell, MVP is an early version of a product presented to customers. It includes only a minimum number of core features. The main aim of it is to test the product with real users and get valuable feedback for further improvements or pivots.

Our main goals were to build two crucial features of MVP app and do our best to transform the existing app into an efficient and practical solution. And this is how our journey with Mowaamah got started.

Workshops — our secret sauce for effective kick-off

Our first step towards an appropriate solution was setting out what exactly we need to work efficiently. To do this, we tailored workshops with our Partner.

During the first day of a three-day-long workshop, together with client’s stakeholders, we managed to determine: the target group, the app’s key functionalities, how the product should stand out, the business goals, competition, revenue streams and channels.

On the second day of the workshop, we thought about how we want to work, which tools and frameworks will fit our needs, and what is crucial, including what exactly the Definition of Done means to us. We cooperated, listened to each other and worked out the development process, DoD (Definition of Done) and backlog.

The last day of the workshop brought us more specific metrics, like user goals, release goals, customer journeys, must-have and nice-to-have features, priorities, and estimations. This three-day workshop put the wind in our sails. With a clear goal, and a ready set of information and tools, we were ready to make Mowaamah better!

Development process of an accessible app: estimate, develop and release

Technically, our Agile work process is based on three essential stages: estimate, develop and release. The above-mentioned workshop covered the first stage, estimating and preparing a detailed backlog. With that, we could focus on to the next goal in building an accessible app: to develop the two main functionalities: upgrading a video call to volunteer or sign language translator, and enabling easy access to disability-friendly places.

To provide our users with simple and intuitive support, the risk of mistakes needed to be mitigated to the very minimum. That is why we built Mowaamah differently than other accessible apps on the market and redesigned it from the dashboard up. We decided to choose only one crucial feature to be shown on the main screen to keep users focused. However, all additional functionalities are still available in the menu, but in contrast to most of today’s apps, the main screen contains just one element. Also, the accessible design can only be achieved with a unique colour palette that delivers clear and easy to read texts.

We are aware that balancing business goals and user needs always raises some doubts. Throughout the process, we tried to take into account our client’s expectations and the needs of people with disabilities at the same time. As a result, we prepared a video provider in Twilio that helps users to solve problems of everyday life and the official issues (like preparing official letters to departments or offices) as well. Now, it plays the role of “the user’s eyes” and supports them in their daily life.

After creating the app, we had to validate and check its accessibility by running tests with a group of people with various disabilities. The development process and a great deal of work and testing eventually bore fruit: our client’s and the testing group’s satisfaction.

Challenges and opportunities

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty” — someone smart once said. With that reasoning, we perceived every challenge as a possibility to tweak the Mowaamah app a little more.

One of the most challenging parts of our work was to deliver consecutive components of the MVP, keeping in mind that it should consist only of minimum viable features, while constantly caring for the user needs at the same time. At every step, we tried to establish those needs accurately and take them into account with the utmost empathy.

Continuously, we had to remember that our accessible app should not only be aesthetic but, above all, it has to cohere with assistive technologies, like screen readers or voice-overs. For example, the application should support iPhone or Android screen readers to help people with visual impairment navigate through the menus. We used the backend technologies: PHP 8 / Symfony 5 to provide all necessary features. In apps like this, accessibility is the key objective, more important than the visual side of the product. This crucial principle motivated our 9-person team throughout the whole development process that lasted about 3 and a half months.

That feeling when your work is meaningful!

Our hearts swell with pride when we see how efficiently the Mowaamah app works. We had the chance to create a helpful tool and support people in need — the mission aspect of this application is the most valuable for us. Also, the goal of calibrating the product to the needs of a unique target group was a truly teaching experience.

What else? Mowaamah stands out in the Saudi Arabia market, because it connects users with different disabilities (visual, auditory, physical and cognitive) and makes their life easier. We managed to care for various sets of requirements in a single application.

And… that’s the end?

No! Anyone who knows how to make a great app will tell you that once you get your project off the ground it’s never over. Now, with the initial mission complete, we’re planning further features. It’s time to validate user needs and adjust business goals with our Product Strategist. Once we have shown how to make a great app it’s time to make it even better. In the next stage, we would like to focus on the necessary functionalities of the app, like job offers, upgrading the list of disability-friendly places or the option to change colours. Our goal is to create a truly accessible app that will support people with disabilities in various life areas, making us feel proud.

Learn more about our mission at Boldare. Check some of the products that we work on and are proud of!