Research Project
The Accessibility of Mobile Dating Apps for Visually Impaired Individuals
Bio
Sophia is a fourth-year student majoring in Professional Communication with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. In addition to her studies, she manages a local dental office and tutors elementary and high school students. Sophia is passionate about developing effective communication strategies, fostering creativity, demonstrating leadership, collaborating in team settings, and implementing innovative problem-solving approaches. She possesses technical proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, WordPress, and other relevant tools.
Research Summary
This study delves into the accessibility of Canada’s most popular dating apps—Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge—for visually impaired individuals (Iqbal, 2024). The emergence of mobile dating apps has reshaped how people form romantic connections, with Canadian singles increasingly relying on these platforms for convenience (Statista, 2023). However, despite their widespread use, there is a notable gap in research regarding the accessibility of these apps for the visually impaired community.
Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge have introduced hyper-visual interfaces that have redefined user expectations in the dating app landscape. While these interfaces are glorified for their simplicity and engaging design, they present significant challenges for visually impaired individuals seeking to navigate the latest dating trends (Parmenter, 2021). Nonetheless, there is a growing demand for accessible mobile dating solutions driven by visually impaired individuals who heavily depend on online platforms due to limitations in traditional face-to-face interactions (Kim, 2020).
Through a comprehensive UI/UX analysis utilizing secondary data, this study evaluated VoiceOver compatibility, audio features, selfie verification, and social attraction features of the three apps. The findings reveal notable disparities in accessibility, with Hinge emerging as the most accessible option, followed closely by Bumble as the second most accessible, and Tinder ranking as the least accessible. Despite advancements in certain areas, none of the apps fully meet all accessibility criteria.
As a result, tailored recommendations have been proposed to address these accessibility gaps:
- Implement mandatory selfie verification on Hinge to enhance safety and trust.
- Partner with a specialized UX designer on Tinder to enhance accessibility features.
- Hire a third-party accessibility consultant for Bumble to address barriers for VoiceOver users.
These findings underscore the imperative of prioritizing accessibility in mobile dating app design to ensure inclusivity for all users.
References
Iqbal, M. (2024, February 20). Home App Data Tinder Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024). Business of Apps. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tinder-statistics/
Kim, M. (2020, January 9). Can blind people use Tinder?. Currently, no… but Tinder can take… | by Michelle Kim. UX Collective. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://uxdesign.cc/can-blind-people-use-tinder-8e5bd9296d7b
Parmenter, L. (2021, July 28). How UX & Product Design Revolutionized the Way We Date. Springboard. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://www.springboard.com/blog/design/product-design-apps-dating-tinder/
Statista. (2023). Online Dating – Canada. Statista. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/eservices/dating-services/online-dating/canada#analyst-opinion
Research Poster
