AFFORDANCES E A PERCEPÇÃO DE USO EM TECNOLOGIAS ASSISTIVAS: UMA ANÁLISE COMPARATIVA ENTRE AS VERSÕES MOBILE DOS APLICATIVOS HAND TALK E VLIBRAS SOB A ÓTICA DE GIBSON E NORMAN

Abstract

The digital inclusion of the deaf community requires the availability of tools that overcome communicational barriers on mobile devices, ensuring not only functionality but also usability. This work proposes a comparative analysis between the mobile versions of the Hand Talk and VLibras applications, using James Gibson's concepts of Affordance and Donald Norman's Perception of Use as a theoretical basis. The central objective is to examine how the layout of visual elements and the behavior of 3D avatars guide interaction on touch screens. Through a qualitative approach, based on the method of direct systematic observation guided by the literature, the interaction flows and present cognitive obstacles (gulfs of execution and evaluation) were mapped. The results demonstrate that design strategies that directly expose functionalities on the interface reduce cognitive load, while minimalist approaches tend to hide affordances, requiring a greater effort for discovery. It is concluded that accessibility in assistive technologies depends intrinsically on semiotic clarity and the presence of explicit visual signifiers to consolidate user autonomy.