Receive Visual and Auditory Feedback During Recording
Peer mentors, especially those with hearing impairments (HLF user base) or low digital literacy, need unambiguous feedback about the recording state. The recording state indicator must display distinct visual states: idle, listening, processing, and error. An animated waveform or pulse animation must be visible when the microphone is active. A brief audio cue (where device settings allow) plays on start and stop. Accessibility live region announcements must convey the state change to screen reader users. This story ensures parity of experience for users with visual, auditory, and cognitive access needs.
User Story
Acceptance Criteria
- Given dictation is idle, When the peer mentor views a dictation-enabled field, Then the microphone button shows a static mic icon with no animation
- Given dictation is active, When recording is in progress, Then the microphone button shows an animated pulse/waveform indicator and the button colour changes to a recording accent color
- Given dictation stops (user action or timeout), When the state transitions to idle or processing, Then the animation stops and the button returns to its static state
- Given an error occurs during dictation (e.g. microphone permission denied), When the error is detected, Then the recording state indicator shows an error state and a plain-language error message appears below the field
- Given a screen reader is active, When recording state changes, Then the live region announcer emits 'Recording started' or 'Recording stopped' immediately after the state transition
Business Value
Ambiguous recording state is a primary reason users distrust and abandon voice input features. Clear, multi-modal feedback (visual + auditory + screen reader) is especially critical given that all three partner organisations serve users with sensory or cognitive disabilities. High confidence in the feature leads to greater adoption and reduced underreporting.
Components
- Recording State Indicator ui
- Speech Recognition Service service
- Transcription State Manager service
- Accessibility Live Region Announcer infrastructure
- Live Region Announcer ui
- Plain Language Error Display ui