Challenges and solutions - Blindness

Question 1

ICT
(information and communication technology)

Can not see digital or electronic interfaces (3 solutions)

Answer 1

• Screen readers
• Self-voicing interfaces (for broadcasting information, not the same as screen readers. It could tell you where you are rigth now - the adress, what the camera sees for example signs)
• Refreshable braille output devices

Question 2

ICT
(information and communication technology)

Digital content and interfaces are not designed with accessibility in mind, that’s why it’s not possible to use screen readers (1 solution)

Answer 2

Interface designers and content authors can edit the markup to make it compatible with the assistive technologies used by blind people.

Question 3

Architecture & Built Environment

Cannot see when walking (6 solutions)

Answer 3

• Canes help blind people feel their surroundings as they walk.
• Service animals
• GPS-based walking instructions with an audio interface, either automated or via a remote human navigator.
• Raised tiles on the ground to indicate the edge of a platform, a pathway along a sidewalk, the beginning of a staircase, etc.
• Eliminate low-hanging architectural features that a blind person could bump into
• Clear pathways without obstructions in hallways, sidewalks.

Question 4

Architecture & Built Environment

Cannot see signs or other text on buildings or other areas in the built environment (3 solutions)

Answer 4

• Map and geolocation applications on mobile devices (announce the names, descriptions of buildings and other location-related information)
• Braille labels and descriptions on entrances, rooms, bathrooms, historical markers…
• Tactile models of the exterior of buildings, or of floorplans of the interior of buildings help blind people form a mental map of their surroundings.

Question 5

Consumer & Industrial Products

Cannot see or feel the controls on flat interfaces on consumer devices such as microwaves, ovens, dishwashers, etc. (3 solutions)

Answer 5

• Alternative interfaces with knobs or other tactile controls
• Audio interfaces
• Remote control through applications on mobile devices

Question 6

Consumer & Industrial Products

Cannot read the text on the containers or packaging for consumer items such as medicine, toothpaste, shampoo, sunscreen, hand cream, personal care products, foods, drinks, candy (1 solution)

Answer 6

• Embossed braille (or braille stickers) on packaging and product containers help consumers identify items both in the store and after purchase.

Question 7

Consumer & Industrial Products

Cannot read money to determine its value (3 solutions)

Answer 7

• Applications on mobile devices can photograph the money and read the value to blind people.
• Paper bills and coins could be manufactured in different sizes, shapes, or textures to allow blind people to distinguish the value based on touch.
• Non-cash systems of payment can allow blind people to make financial transactions via computers, mobile devices, or on-site payment hardware with screen readers or self-voicing output.

Question 8

Consumer & Industrial Products

Cannot read books, magazines, posters, postal mail, or other printed materials (2 solutions)

Answer 8

• Optical character recognition software can convert scanned images of text into digital text readable by screen readers.
• Information can be placed online or in other digital formats to allow blind people to read the materials using their own assistive technologies.