While technology helps make our lives better, it’s not always as easily accessible as it could be, especially for people with conditions like Parkinson’s, which can cause tremors that make it difficult to use some gadgets. With the new Staybl app, which takes advantage of features built into the iPad since day one, something as simple as surfing the web becomes much easier, even if you have an illness.
Although the effects of Parkinson’s disease, “a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system,” can take years to manifest, the earliest symptoms include tremors in many parts of the body, but most often in the hands, which can make it difficult to perform even the simplest tasks.
The app was developed by Havas New York and Havas Germany, who worked for two years with the German Parkinson’s Association and patients with the disease in Germany and the US to test and optimize the app.
At its core, the app uses the iPad’s accelerometer to detect small movements from hand shake and then moves the web browser window in the opposite direction to dampen the vibrations, giving the user a comfortable web browsing experience while holding the mobile device.
Other improvements made to the app to help make it more accessible and usable for people with hand tremors are the absence of swipe gestures required for navigation, larger buttons to make them easier to tap, a more contrasty interface, and font usage. Atkinson Hyperlegibledeveloped by the Braille Institute to improve readability for visually impaired users, making it easier to recognize individual letters.
Currently the Staybl app available as a free download in the US App Store for iPad running iPadOS 14.0 or later as it requires a larger screen and higher refresh rate, but hopes to port it to other devices and platforms in the future.
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