Abstract
Purpose :
The use of braille is associated with higher levels of education and more positive employment outcomes. Braille is read by individuals with visual impairments either in hard copy (paper) or through the use of electronic refreshable braille displays, which provide instant access to information. Braille displays have dots of greater height than traditional paper based formats and may thus provide benefits for older adults with reduced tactile sensitivity. As the cost of braille technologies decline, there is a need to understand how such devices may influence braille reading outcomes. The goal of this study was to explore the influence of reading medium on braille reading speed among a sample of experienced working-age and older adult braille users.
Methods :
Fourty-six participants (age 23-88, M=52.3, SD=14.9, 15 male) who began learning braille between the ages of 4 and 63 (M=11.75, SD=9.46) read two braille passages from the International Reading Speed Test (IReST) on paper and two passages on display. Demographic information including age and frequency of braille use was collected. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, paired two-sample t-tests and Kruskal-Wallis analyses were conducted.
Results :
Reading speeds of 34 to 600 characters/min (M=245.31, SD=157.85) were achieved, with reading on an electronic display being marginally slower (M=241.19, SD=157.71) than reading on paper (M=249.43, SD=164.31). Frequency of braille use led to significant differences in braille reading performance on both paper, H(4) = 14.317, p = .006, and display, H(4) = 16.207, p = .003. The age at which braille was first learned was significantly negatively correlated with reading speed on both a display, r(84) = -0.59, p < .001, and paper, r(84) = -.63, p < .001.
Conclusions :
This study is one of the first to report on differences in reading performance between electronic and paper braille. Results suggest that among experienced readers, there are no significant differences in reading speed when reading on paper versus a refreshable display. Future research should examine differences based on the nature of reading task and whether the benefit of refreshable braille displays may be more pronounced for older adults with reduced tactile sensitivity.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.