Empowering Young Visually Impaired Learners

Empowering Young Visually Impaired Learners

Project Overview

Project Overview

Visually impaired children face significant barriers in online learning due to restrictive web design. Recognizing this gap in accessibility, I collaborated with two designers to create VisiPal: a browser extension that adapts any website into a learning environment tailored to each child’s needs.

Visually impaired children face significant barriers in online learning due to restrictive web design. Recognizing this gap in accessibility, I collaborated with two designers to create VisiPal: a browser extension that adapts any website into a learning environment tailored to each child’s needs.

Team Members

Alyanna Fuentes, Joy Zhang

Role
Timeframe
Team Members

UI/UX Designer

7 hours

Alyanna Fuentes, Joy Zhang

Role
Timeframe

UI/UX Designer

7 hours

THE PROBLEM

1 in 10 children experience some form of visual impairment

1 in 10 children experience some form of visual impairment

Without proper support, these students risk falling behind academically and socially, affecting their confidence, engagement, and future success.

Without proper support, these students risk falling behind academically and socially, affecting their confidence, engagement, and future success.

The accessibility gap widens as schools adopt digital learning tools

The accessibility gap widens as schools adopt digital learning tools

Despite the internet being a primary resource for research and reading, visually impaired students encounter daily obstacles navigating websites.

Despite the internet being a primary resource for research and reading, visually impaired students encounter daily obstacles navigating websites.

When do buyers get stuck?

USER RESEARCH

A cycle of discomfort, frustration, and disengagement

A cycle of discomfort, frustration, and disengagement

With a focus on improving the web experience for students, we conducted secondary research to identify several overarching themes:

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

We analyzed the limitations of existing tools that support visual disabilities 

We analyzed the limitations of existing tools that support visual disabilities 

Current products offer isolated features and lack child-specific considerations. As a result, students must adapt to adult platforms instead of having solutions that cater to their developmental needs.

IDEATION

Accessibility research guided our brainstorming session

Accessibility research guided our brainstorming session

Upon compiling our insights, we translated key barriers into actionable product features:

WIREFRAMES

Initial extension bar explorations

Initial extension bar explorations

We researched different interfaces and selected two viable options: a horizontal panel that expands across the screen width or a floating widget on the top right corner

ITERATION

Balancing usability, space, and simplicity across three layout ideas

Balancing usability, space, and simplicity across three layout ideas

Each approach offered unique advantages and trade-offs in terms of visibility, screen space, and ease of use. We aimed to identify which design best balances intuitive access with unobtrusive browsing.

FINAL DESIGN

Introducing VisiPal!

Introducing VisiPal!

Seamless Onboarding & Interest-Based Discovery

Upon logging in with your student ID, select up categories that reflect your passions, and instantly discover and join relevant clubs at your university.

Onboarding & Interest-Based Discovery

Upon logging in with your student ID, select up categories that reflect your passions, and instantly discover and join relevant clubs at your university.

Setting up the extension

During onboarding, students can customize the font size, style, and line spacing, then select from colour themes optimized for different disabilities.

Transforming your reading experience

Whether navigating a history textbook chapter or researching for a science project, students can adjust their settings conveniently with the VisiPal widget.

Whether it's navigating a textbook or researching for a project, students can adjust their settings conveniently with the VisiPal widget.

IMPACT & TAKEAWAYS

Winning first place by advocating for inclusive design

Working with an incredible team, I'm really proud of the product we conceptualized! With more time, I would love to explore its feasibility including how it would adapt to different articles.

IMPACT & TAKEAWAYS 

Winning first place by advocating for inclusive design

Working with an incredible team, I'm really proud of the product we conceptualized! With more time, I would love to explore its feasibility including how it would adapt to different articles.

You made it to the end ᯓ★︎

Thank you for reading this case study! If you'd like to learn more about this project, please reach out at efan.song@mail.utoronto.ca ◡̈︎

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You made it to the end ᯓ★︎

Thank you for reading this case study! If you'd like to learn more about this project, please reach out at efan.song@mail.utoronto.ca ◡̈︎

Next Project ↓


© 2025 Efan Song 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘