Enhancing accessibility

A phenomenological study on the usability of the FSL buddy app for deaf and hearing students in the Philippines

Bibliographic Data

ID22427083
AuthorsMelvin N Espineda (Asian Institute of Management, corresponding author), Ferdinand R Vizmanos (Asian Institute of Management), Guy Noel B Ganados (Asian Institute of Management)
Year2026
Volume25
Issue2
Publication date2026-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueUniversal Access in the Information Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1615-5289 • E-ISSN: 1615-5297
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s10209-026-01322-x
OpenAlexW7135030924
LanguageEN
References cited18

This study examined the effectiveness and usability of FSL Buddy, an application designed to enhance communication in the Philippines. The researchers employed a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students, hearing students, and multimedia application developers through interviews and observations. Using Moustakas’ modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method, they identified key technical and usability barriers, including limited vocabulary, connectivity issues, platform incompatibility, interface navigation challenges, and suboptimal aesthetic design. To improve the app and increase user engagement, the researchers recommend co-creating with end-users, expanding vocabulary resources, redesigning the interface for better aesthetics, and ensuring cross-platform compatibility. These findings highlight the importance of applying universal design principles in communication technologies to promote social equity and inclusion in education.

Assistive technology · Interface design · Universal design · Usability · User interface · Vocabulary · Digital Accessibility for Disabilities · Hearing Impairment and Communication · Subtitles and Audiovisual Media

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Open DOIOpen Access