Humans, like most animals, integrate sensory input in the brain from different sensory modalities. Yet humans are distinct in their ability to grasp symbolic input, which is interpreted into a ...cognitive mental representation of the world. This representation merges with external sensory input, providing modality integration of a different sort. This study evaluates the Topo-Speech algorithm in the blind and visually impaired. The system provides spatial information about the external world by applying sensory substitution alongside symbolic representations in a manner that corresponds with the unique way our brains acquire and process information. This is done by conveying spatial information, customarily acquired through vision, through the auditory channel, in a combination of sensory (auditory) features and symbolic language (named/spoken) features. The Topo-Speech sweeps the visual scene or image and represents objects' identity by employing naming in a spoken word and simultaneously conveying the objects' location by mapping the x-axis of the visual scene or image to the time it is announced and the y-axis by mapping the location to the pitch of the voice. This proof of concept study primarily explores the practical applicability of this approach in 22 visually impaired and blind individuals. The findings showed that individuals from both populations could effectively interpret and use the algorithm after a single training session. The blind showed an accuracy of 74.45%, while the visually impaired had an average accuracy of 72.74%. These results are comparable to those of the sighted, as shown in previous research, with all participants above chance level. As such, we demonstrate practically how aspects of spatial information can be transmitted through non-visual channels. To complement the findings, we weigh in on debates concerning models of spatial knowledge (the persistent, cumulative, or convergent models) and the capacity for spatial representation in the blind. We suggest the present study's findings support the convergence model and the scenario that posits the blind are capable of some aspects of spatial representation as depicted by the algorithm comparable to those of the sighted. Finally, we present possible future developments, implementations, and use cases for the system as an aid for the blind and visually impaired.
Students with blindness and visual disabilities encounter challenges learning mathematics, particularly mathematical equations (MEs), which contributes to their underrepresentation in STEM fields. ...MEs are complex because they have a two-dimensional structure, which makes them difficult to access. In addition, inconsistencies in Braille codes across regions, lack of collaborative math platforms, and a lack of accessible mathematics literature exacerbate their difficulties. Technology and tools currently available limit MEs analysis and solution. This study proposes a mathematical equation analysis and solving software application called SA-MEAS (Sympy-based Automated Mathematical Equation Analysis and Solver) for mathematical linear and quadratic equations and expressions. The proposed solution provides a quick overview and solutions for MEs. The overview provides terms, factors, variables and constants, types of equations, structure and a detailed summary of MEs. Also, it provides correct solutions. Students correlate the summary and solution and build a mental model of the MEs. To develop this application a Python symbolic mathematics library (sympy) was utilized to automate MEs analysis and solution. Similarly, a speech synthesis library verbally summarized the analysis and solution. Furthermore, a Python speech recognition library was used for interactive communication. Finally, a user-friendly interface was designed by utilizing the Tkinter library. The proposed software was empirically evaluated with 32 blind and visually impaired students, and significant improvements were found in math accessibility and learning.
The present study examines feedback mechanisms (FMs) to facilitate communication between the blind and visually impaired (BVI) and their surroundings or devices. Although previous research has led to ...the development of numerous accessible technologies for aiding BVI individuals in various scenarios, the widespread usage of these technologies has been limited by a lack of user acceptance. This is often due to the high associated cost and difficulty in processing information intuitively, causing a high cognitive load, resulting in the system being mostly unusable. The core of these issues lie within the FMs opted for the intended application. To address these issues, this literature review scrutinizes unique literature with various implementations of FMs, which are then classified based on their cognitive load requirements, associated cost, and applicable scenarios, thereby assisting in making informed decisions for optimal design.
•This is the first study to investigate blind and visually impaired (BVI) users’ coping tactics and their associated help-seeking situations•It clearly defines coping tactics in terms of their ...actions, goals, and associated situations•Eleven coping tactics that BVI users applied in non-DL environments were identified in the DL context; Narrowing down, broadening up, or paralleling search, and exploring relevant features were the tactics most often employed•Eight unique coping tactics were identified within the DL environments; Exploring DL page structure and exploring an accessible alternative were the most frequently applied tactics
The authors conducted the first study to investigate the types of coping tactics that blind and visually impaired (BVI) users applied when they encountered difficulties interacting with digital libraries (DLs). Coping tactics are defined as diverse action choices used by BVI users to accomplish specific goals in response to different types of help-seeking situations. Sixty-four participants were recruited throughout the United States. Multiple data collection methods were employed to collect data: pre-questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, transaction logs, and diaries. The study identified 19 types of coping tactics associated with the top five help-seeking situations. The findings were further compared with prior research to highlight the tactics previously identified from non-DL environments and unique coping tactics found only in the DL context. On the one hand, BVI participants brought their 11 types of coping tactics from non-DL environments into the DL context. Among them, Searching for keywords and Seeking human help are the coping tactics employed to address all of the top five situations in the DL environment. On the other hand, the combination of structural complexity, use of multimedia formats, and sight-centered designs found in DLs force BVI users to apply eight unique coping tactics in the DL context. The linear way of going through the DL structure led BVI users to explore DL page structure. At the same time, they had to Explore an accessible alternative to deal with inaccessible multimedia content. To support the coping tactics adopted from non-DL environments, the design suggestions focus on directly resolving situations, offering more options within DLs, and creating or enhancing features based on BVI users’ coping tactics. To support the unique coping tactics, the design implications concentrate on ways of reducing help-seeking situations.
Current sight-centered designs and services in library and information science (LIS) do not effectively support blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. Simultaneously, there is a lack of studies ...focused on the research methods utilized in BVI research. This study analyzed 165 research papers retrieved from four LIS databases over a 40-year period. The uniqueness of BVI research methods on research design, data collection, and data analysis is highlighted. While survey and experiment are the two most commonly applied research designs in LIS research, survey and evaluation are the main research designs for BVI research. Concurrently, assessment report is a unique data collection method employed. More quantitative analysis was also applied in BVI research, and most of the qualitative analysis was not specified. This study reveals an opportunity to enhance the diverse approaches to BVI research and further satisfy BVI users' unique needs.
•Research methods applied to LIS studies of blind and visually impaired (BVI) users were examined for the first time.•Survey and evaluation were the main research designs for BVI research.•Assessment report was identified as a unique data collection method employed in BVI research.•BVI research involved more quantitative than qualitative analysis and was mostly descriptive.
This paper presents the analysis and design of a new, wearable orientation guidance device in modern travel aid systems for blind and visually impaired people. The four-stage double-diamond design ...model was applied in the design process to achieve human-centric innovation and to ensure technical feasibility and economic viability. Consequently, a sliding tactile feedback wristband was designed and prototyped. Furthermore, a Bezier curve-based adaptive path planner is proposed to guarantee collision-free planned motion. Proof-of-concept experiments on both virtual and real-world scenarios are conducted. The evaluation results confirmed the efficiency and feasibility of the design and imply the design's remarkable potential in spatial perception rehabilitation.
Fencing for the blind and visually impaired is an emerging sub-discipline of fencing that creates unusual conditions for meaning-making through interaction between embodied endowments and worldly ...affordances. With the rules of fencing slightly adjusted to the needs of the blindfolded participants – regardless of their sightedness – the discipline requires the fencers to engage in a duel by relying on other than visual cues. This article explores what an autoethnographic account of experiences of participation in fencing for the blind and visually impaired brings to debates on the embodied, and specifically sensory difference. The discussion of these experiences intersects with debates on affect, affordance, and habit, with all three having important roles in related semiotic processes. Presented vignettes draw upon the author’s lived experiences of participation in fencing for the blind and visually impaired and are analyzed as part of a mixed-method autoethnographic study, accompanied by sensory methodologies, with a focus on an inquiry beyond the visual. The vignettes elucidate how we make sense of our surroundings through a complex engagement with the ecology of sensory and affective processes. In addition to exploring the role of affective and pre-conceptual aspects of our experiences, the article seeks to understand how semiosis occurs through both exposure to as well as the active pursuit of specific environmental signs available to us. The article also derives from biosemiotics to examine the complex relationship between meaning-making processes and habits. Finally, the autoethnographic account provides an insight into how we habituate the world and our embodied differences and thus enable meaning-making processes.
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