Navigational Aid Use by Individuals with Visual Impairments

Navigation is a multifaceted task, which requires using a combination of strategies and cues from the environment. Navigation can be particularly challenging for individuals with impaired vision, because many informative cues are visual. As mobile computing technology rapidly advances, the range of potential approaches to assist visually impaired people with navigation is also broadening. For computer-based navigational aids, the way in which information is gathered, processed, and presented is key to success and represents a vast space of potential approaches. In an effort to improve understanding and provide guidance on this issue, we present the results of a phone survey about navigational aids from a sample of individuals with impaired vision. The survey assessed the usefulness of existing navigational aids (both low-tech and high-tech) for different aspects of navigation. With an emphasis on indoor wayfinding (orienting oneself and following a route in a building), we also collected responses about specific targets the survey participants search for while navigating, and strategies they commonly use. Our results indicate that indoor wayfinding is a relatively under-supported task during navigation despite rapid advances in technology. These results also provide insights for creating navigational aids that are designed more specifically for the current challenges individuals with impaired vision may experience during this task.