ACCESSIBILITY APP

We believe in making multimodal media accessible and equitable.

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Accessibility App

Quick Installation. Easy to use.

Vizling is an accessibility app designed to make multimodal media, like comics, maps, and art, accessible for blind and low vision readers in an equitable way using an intuitive user interface which combines haptics with scaffolded exploratory reading modes.

Vizling app launch screen on top of a comic panel with 4 arrows with notes

What is Vizling

A mobile app for users of all kinds to navigate multimodal texts like comics and textbooks in fully equitable, accessible ways.

Process

Our process employs a unique combination of visual grammar, haptics, and CBML(Comic Book Markup Language) to create a space where users with all levels of visual acuity can read, navigate, search and research multimodal texts.

Transcription

Working from a graphic narrative, digital editors create an incredibly detailed script that can be read by both humans and computers to be included in the Vizling app.

Annotation

The Vizling App uses CBML, a markup language, to annotate a graphic narrative, including bibliographic information, character details, dialogue, and more, in a text-based form.

Visual and Haptics

Intuitive user interface which combines haptics with scaffolded exploratory reading modes offers accessibility for blind and low vision readers to enjoy graphics based media.

Audio Playback

Audio versions of the script are recorded by voice actors for a dynamic and interactive listening experience.

The App You Need

Users can navigate content with ease for dialogue, scene description, overarching narrative, narration, objects, and more.

Simple Interaction Experience

The app utilizes haptics in addition to visual and auditory feedback to enhance touch gestures and interactions.

Supporting Digital Scholarship

To spur and facilitate digital scholarship in the humanities, the Vizling App will be FREE to download. Readers, researchers, and artists will be able to digitize, archive, and render accessible graphic narratives outside of the Vizling App database and original work following our published guidelines and using our administrative software.

Caption:

Two males standing side by side over a solid pink background holding a comic book and an open laptop. On the left is Darren, holding a comic book with a speech bubble that said the Vizling app is important to all readers. On the right is Aaron holding an open laptop with the screen facing viewers with a speech bubble that said its novel approach creates equitable access to existing knowledge with the promise to generate even more.

Vizling app is important for all readers

Its novel approach creates equitable access to existing knowledge with the promise to generate even more.

One Coding Language

CBML is a hierarchical coding language that allows individual editors to annotate graphic narrative, character details, dialogue and more, in a text-based form.

Tags and Scripts

The Vizling App software parses the code, separating the discrete bits of code into units called tags, and organizing it into a script for feedback to users.

Human Voice Actors

Professional voice actors record audio versions of the script with a corresponding tag.

Coding Magic

The software distinguishes between content codes such as dialogue, scene description, overarching narrative, narration, objects, etc. and uses organization code to decipher which content to access based on user input.

Audio and Narratives

Audio and narrative files are tagged based on their use and incorporated into the larger file of CBML code for access by the Vizling software as needed.

Digital Images Pairing

On screen images are tagged at corresponding access points within image files and uploaded to the Vizling app. User interaction with the image file through on-screen touch commands accesses to the corresponding audio and narrative files played by the Vizling app.

Meet Our Administrative Team

Founders of the Vizling App aim to make multimodal texts more accessible and researchable.

Craig Patchin

CEO of Vizling, Craig Patchin provides direction, targets, accountability, and structure for ongoing growth and business success. An entrepreneur with an English Education Bachelors and graduate theology work, Mr. Patchin has over 30 years of experience managing and growing various businesses, most recently Endao, LLC, and Austin, TX based software startup for window and door dealers throughout North America. Email Craig Patchin at cpatchin@vizling.org.

Darren DeFrain, Ph.D.

Dr. DeFrain, co-founder of Vizling, an award-winning educational accessibility expert and professor of English, oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and delegates tasks to the project team and contractors. An English professor, DeFrain has over 30 years of experience in educational theory and practice. DeFrain is responsible for social media, community outreach, and most elements of commercialization. Email Dr. DeFrain at darren.defrain@wichita.edu.

Aaron Rodriguez, MFA

Mr. Rodriguez, co-founder of Vizling, an award-winning educational accessibility and technologies expert with nearly 7 years of experience teaching at the college level, is in charge of the design and development of the Vizling App and the Vizling Accessible Design Software. Mr. Rodriguez leads Vizling efforts into education research and is tasked with coordinating, evaluating, implementing testing, updating, and improving the education technology products. Email Aaron Rodriguez at info@vizling.org.

Craig Patchin

CEO of Vizling, Craig Patchin provides direction, targets, accountability, and structure for ongoing growth and business success. An entrepreneur with an English Education Bachelors and graduate theology work, Mr. Patchin has over 30 years of experience managing and growing various businesses, most recently Endao, LLC, and Austin, TX based software startup for window and door dealers throughout North America. Email Craig Patchin at cpatchin@vizling.org.

Darren DeFrain, Ph.D.

Dr. DeFrain, co-founder of Vizling, an award-winning educational accessibility expert and professor of English, oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and delegates tasks to the project team and contractors. An English professor, DeFrain has over 30 years of experience in educational theory and practice. DeFrain is responsible for social media, community outreach, and most elements of commercialization. Email Dr. DeFrain at darren.defrain@wichita.edu.

Aaron Rodriguez, MFA

Mr. Rodriguez, co-founder of Vizling, an award-winning educational accessibility and technologies expert with nearly 7 years of experience teaching at the college level, is in charge of the design and development of the Vizling App and the Vizling Accessible Design Software. Mr. Rodriguez leads Vizling efforts into education research and is tasked with coordinating, evaluating, implementing testing, updating, and improving the education technology products. Email Aaron Rodriguez at info@vizling.org.

Vizling Fellows

Peech

Tansy “Peech” Breshears is an MA candidate with an undergraduate degree in English from Wichita State University. They prefer to be called Peech! Some of their interests are: expanding accessibility in social media and entertainment, social justice, elevating Black American voices in media, eradicating stigma surrounding disabilities and particular jobs and work, and encouraging women and people of color to enjoy motorcycle riding, too.

Lara Law

Lara Law is a MFA student at Wichita State University where she writes primarily magical realism, fantasy and science fiction stories. She is a teacher by day and a nerd by night with a passion for anything that gets her out of the dreary real world. Her favorite dinosaur is the majungasaurus and everyone should know it exists.

Meet Our Tech Team

T3 is an innovation-driven, technology center at WSU since 1998.

T3 is a diverse team of highly skilled professionals with expertise in design and development using cutting-edge technologies.

Through our expansive portfolio of work, experienced team’s skillset, and ability to take on new challenges, we were excited to team up with the innovative Vizling group to bring their vision to life.

Tech Team

An innovation-driven, technology center at Wichita State University since 1998

T3 is a diverse team of highly skilled professionals with expertise in design and development using cutting-edge technologies.

Through our expansive portfolio of work, experienced team’s skillset, and ability to take on new challenges, we were excited to team up with the innovative Vizling group to bring their vision to life.

Meet Our Grantors

The Vizling App is supported by generous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the John A. See Award. You can find more information on each by visit the links below.

NEH: www.neh.gov or @neh.gov
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: sloan.org or @SloanFoundation
John A. See Award: www.wichita.edu/academics/innovation_and_new_ventures/john_a_see.php

Interested in supporting the Vizling App? Contact us.

Spring 2023 Vizling Interns

Our Vizling Intern program is a for-credit opportunity through Wichita State University’s English Department that provides interns with hands-on experience working with editing and publishing accessible, digital comics content.

Randi McCowan

Randi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, a Master’s in Arts Leadership & Management, and is a candidate for a MA in English Literature. She is interested in Queer Theory and Queer Ecology and is currently at work on positioning Emily Dickinson as an early explorer of Queer Ecology. Randi loves 80s and 90s post-punk, goth, dream pop, shoegaze, and industrial music, as well as Renaissance and Baroque composers, such as Marin Marais, John Dowland, Tobias Hume, and Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. She is currently working on a YA novel about a transgender girl in the 80s, who finds herself through music and friendship. Randi is a true believer in the healing powers of cats and books.

Kalie Dudeck

Kalie Dudeck is a MA student at Wichita State University, where she studies war-related literature and mental illnesses portrayed in literature. During the day, she loves teaching her students the joys of English and writing. During her free time, she bakes some really delicious treats or plays video games with her friends. She is also a massive superhero fan, with her favorite superhero being the Winter Soldier (aka Sargent James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes).

Alexander Hurla

Alexander Hurla is a Marine Corps veteran from Topeka, Kansas. He is a graduate of Kansas State University and is currently pursuing an MFA in creative writing at Wichita State University. His hobbies include woodworking, hiking, theology, and everything related to the prairie.

Journey Smith

Journey Smith is an MA student with an undergraduate degree in Secondary Education from Wichita State University. They enjoy reading, tea, and weird candies. Her free time is spent playing games and contemplating life.

Jaryd Porter

Jaryd T. Porter (He/Him) is an MFA student at Wichita State University and a lover of art, history, and literature. His interests range from prolific to eccentric: short fiction, novels, poetry, film, art, art history, graphic novels, culinary arts, martial arts, martial weapons, animals…most of his formal studies don’t extend beyond liberal arts and history. His favorite book is Slaughterhouse Five, favorite film is a tie between Shawshank Redemption and Everything Everywhere All at Once (Ip Man deserves an honorable mention), and favorite martial artists/actors are Bruce Lee, Iko Uwais, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Donnie Yen.

Ainsley Christopherson

Ainsley Christofferson is a marketing student at Wichita State University. She has experience in the publishing world as a graphic designer for Frog God Games. Some of her passions include product design, advertising, graphic design, drawing and writing. Ainsley has had a fondness for comics since she was a child. Her favorite comic to date is DC Bombshells.

Simon Nguyen

Simon Nguyen is a student at Wichita State University, getting a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice with a minor in English. Video games are a sure way to his heart. He enjoys modern fantasy novels the most and aspires to publish some of his own someday. His most loyal companion is a pit bull that has been by his side for 10 years and is afraid of laundry baskets.

Meet the Board

2022 Vizling Board Members

Rajiv Bagai, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science, Wichita State University.
Kathy Downes, MSLS, Dean of University Libraries, Wichita State University.
Robert D. Gerlach, Esq., Director of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer, Wichita State University.
Jean C. Griffith, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of English, Wichita State University.
Andrew Hippisley, Ph.D., Professor of Linguistics and Dean of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University.
John Jones, M.F.A., CPACC, Director of the Media Resources Center, Wichita State University.
Jeremy Patterson, Ph.D., Dean of College of Innovation Design, Endowed Professor or Human Performance Studies, College of Applied Studies, Wichita State University; Director of the Human Performance Laboratory, and Director of Wichita Interdisciplinary Group for Emerging Technology.
Ron Schuchard, Ph.D., FARVO, Executive Director of the Envision Research Institute.
Joel Suss, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Director of the Applied Cognition & Expertise Lab, Wichita State University.
Gary Taylor, Ph.D., Dahl and Lottie Pryor Professor of Shakespearean Literature, and Chair of the English Department, Florida State University.
John Walsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Informatics, Computing & Engineering, Indiana University.
Jillian Weise, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English, Writer & Activist, Florida State University.
Kerry Wilks, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, Association of Hispanic Classical Theater Board Member, Chair of Equality Kansas.

Available Now!

Download Vizling App Today!

The engineer, designer, and developer are hard at work handcrafting the app. It is available now for FREE download in Google Play and AppStore.

Contact Us

We’d love to hear from you. Send us a message

Mailing Address

VIZLING LLC
62 South Mission Road,
Eastborough, KS, 67207

If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@vizling.org