Eyes-free control

Meaning

A mode of usage that doesn't rely on vision to control a device, navigate content, or complete tasks. Some users do not rely on vision to help them interact with a website, instead, they rely on voice or audio.

Background

The more common usage of the term "eyes-free" has been encouraged by its association with tools such as Siri Eyes Free and TalkBack, which Google describes as providing eyes-free control.

While Siri Eyes Free is specifically meant for vehicles, TalkBack is an accessibility feature that can be used on Android devices and the Chrome web browser.

The work at Google is being done by the Eyes-Free project, led by blind scientist T.V. Raman and his colleagues Charles Chen and Svetoslav Ganov.  On mobile devices, like phones, eye-free apps are further enhanced by the SoundBack and KickBack apps that provide non-spoken feedback, such as beeps and clicks, and haptic/vibratory feedback as you interact with the phone. 

 

Alternatives

Eyes-free interaction is another term for this usage mode.

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