Brandywine grad launches app inspired by sister’s handicap
Published 9:11 am Tuesday, October 21, 2014
In an effort to help his mentally disabled sister better understand the concept of time, a Brandywine High School graduate has created a new calendar and event application for the iPhone and other related Apple products.
Buck and Haley Bourdon
Twenty-year-old Buck Bourdon said his sister, Haley, cannot comprehend time in the way most people do. She can’t read traditional analog or digital clocks. If he were to tell her something is going to happen in two hours, Buck said she does not know what that means.
“In general, she just doesn’t understand numbers or time,” said the 2012 Brandywine graduate, adding that the solution lie in something that Haley loves using — her iPod.
One day not too long ago, Buck noticed Haley watching the progress bar fill up on the screen of her iPod, letting Haley know how much longer it would take before the download was complete.
Buck realized Haley understood time in that instance, when it was represented visually as a progress bar filling up.
“That’s where I got the initial idea for the app,” said Buck, a junior pursuing a computer science degree at the University of Notre Dame.
During summer break, Buck created the application, which is called “See Time-Visual Calendar.”
It uses the familiar look and feel of an iPhone calendar, but adds visual enhancements to represent events, and progress bars to communicate how much time is left before an event starts and finishes.
The real test was putting it in the hands of his sister.
“I spent a lot of time developing the app and making it work the way I thought it should,” he said. “The ultimate test is my sister. That’s who I made it for.”
Haley gave it rave reviews.
Buck’s See Time-Visual Calendar app uses progress bars to communicate time to individuals who have trouble understanding time in normal ways. (Submitted illustration)
“My dad made an event for her and set the time for it. She sat there looking at it for a long while and was excited about it,” he said. “That was really cool being able to work on something and see it work exactly as you hoped.”
Buck said the app is designed specifically for people with special needs, but can also be helpful for young children or anyone wanting to see time in a visual way.
Based on his research, Buck said it is the first time someone has incorporated a progress bar into a calendar app.
Anyone interested in learning more can search for the app in the iTunes app store. The app is available for purchase for $1.99.
