Smartphone and tablet usage among individuals with vision impairment: Are mainstream devices replacing traditional visual aids?

Abstract

Purpose : Despite their utility, traditional assistive devices (e.g. video magnifiers and telescopes) are often abandoned due to cost, lack of technical support, and stigma. Smartphones and tablets provide similar accessibility features; however, little is known about the role such devices play among blind and low vision users. This research explores the use of smartphones and tablets among blind and low vision users and the degree to which such tools are being used to complete tasks previously performed with traditional assistive aids.

Methods : Participants were invited through social media, listservs and rehabilitation centres to complete an anonymous online survey between September and November 2017. Individuals 18 years or older who were blind or had low vision and who had used a smartphone or tablet for three or more months were eligible to participate. 466 participants aged 18-80 (M=41, SD=14) responded, 47% of whom were female and 53% male. 92% had a severe or profound visual impairment, while 8% had a mild or moderate visual impairment (as defined by WHO ICD-10). Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to identify differences between groups of respondents (α=.05).

Results : 69% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that using a mainstream (rather than a traditional) device was important to them, but intermediate and advanced mainstream device users were statistically significantly more likely to agree with this statement: p<.05, η²=.04. 88% agreed that mainstream devices are replacing traditional devices, but beginner mainstream device users (p<.05, η²=.09) and participants above age 60 (p<.05, η²=.02) were statistically significantly less likely to agree with this statement. Smartphones mostly or always replaced traditional devices for navigation, reading audiobooks, identifying objects, reading eBooks and optical character recognition, but for many tasks replacement was statistically significantly less likely among older participants (p<.05, η²=.02-.04) and those with milder vision loss (p<.05, η²=.06-.12).

Conclusions : These results shed light on the impact of mainstream devices among blind and low vision users and the demographic factors that influence device usage, allowing rehabilitation professionals to better meet the needs of clients they serve.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.