Tesi sul tema "Blind and visually impaired learners"

All people seek information for various reasons sometime during their lifetime. How this process has been researched and documented by various researchers is covered in this thesis, showing how the insights and lessons from various Information Seeking Models in the literature have informed and enriched this study. These models provide a good understanding of the study field and frameworks to explain the different elements of the information seeking process. All available Information Seeking Models, however, are developed based on the assumption that information seeking is performed by people with sight. How applicable these Information Seeking Models are for people who are blind and/or visually impaired is not addressed in the research. There are a number of different realities for a blind and visually impaired person seeking information, e.g. the accessibility of the technology to access the information, the accessibility of the information once it is located, the availability of technologies to assist the blind and visually impaired person to enable him/her to seek information, the availability of other people to assist the blind and visually impaired person during the information seeking process are just some of the challenges not addressed by existing Information Seeking Models. The purpose of this study is therefore to give an overview of existing Information Seeking Models and then to focus on the two leading researchers in the field, i.e. C. Kuhlthau and T.D. Wilson. These models of the information seeking process were contextualised and assessed in relation with the information needs model of N. Moore who researched the information needs of blind and visually impaired people. Based on the work of the three researchers a survey instrument was developed to determine the information seeking process of Grade 12 learners at five South African Schools for the Blind. Since Grade 12 learners must decide about their future, after completing school, it was decided to research how Grade 12 learners seek information to assist them to decide about tertiary studies or work options. The study included learners who had not yet started the information seeking process in this regard. A research instrument was designed to collect data to investigate the information seeking processes of the Grade 12 learners in order to assess the extent to which they correlated with the Information Seeking Models of Kuhlthau (1991) and Wilson (1999). The qualitative research method was followed in this study which was located in a constructivist paradigm. Interviews were conducted with 43 learners at the five schools for the blind representing the total population of Grade 12 learners registered at the selected schools. The literature confirms that low population sizes are customary when researching blind and visually impaired people. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the five schools. The findings of the interviews were analysed through a framework analysis. Thereafter, a gap analysis was conducted to determine to what extent the findings correlated to or differed from the Information Seeking Models. From this analysis seven components were identified as part of the design of the Inclusive Information Seeking Model applicable to blind and visually impaired Grade 12 learners, a major outcome of the study. A broader application of the model is suggested. This Inclusive Information Seeking Model will raise awareness and assist people working in an information environment to make the necessary provisions, to ensure that the information seeking process for blind and visually impaired people is as successful as possible with available resources.

The visually impaired community forms a small but integral part of South Africa with the potential to contribute meaningfully to its infrastructure and society, yet blind learners still seem to struggle with computer use. There are various barriers that stand between blind learners and computer access. In this study, I explore the experiences of blind high-school learners (n=4) with regards to computer use. A qualitative case study was applied as research design at a high-school for the visually impaired. Data sources included semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions, which were audio-recorded and transcribed. Observation-in-thecontext was documented in research diaries and field notes. Following thematic analysis, the following themes emerged: value of computer use for blind users; barriers related to blind computer use; and future solutions and possibilities of blind computer use. Insights may inform future conceptualisation and implementation of computer use amongst blind high school learners.
Mini-dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
tm2015
Educational Psychology
MEd
Unrestricted

This research focuses on the perceptions of future fulfilment of visually impaired adolescent learners at the Khanyisa Special School. The qualitative research was undertaken at the selected special school, which is situated in Nelson Mandela Bay in the western region of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, with ten learners, ten parents and five teachers as participants. The concluding chapter suggests ways and recommendations to assist the visually impaired adolescent learners at the Khanyisa Special School financially and academically.

In the United States, the number of visually impaired and blind Americans will rise drastically as the population continues to age; and, yet little is known about how the impact of blindness affects an individual when it comes to the experience of food provisioning and preparation. This thesis presents the study of how the blind and the visually impaired experience food provisioning and preparation. It explores how modern technology and sensory training help these groups of people traverse kitchen and grocery store environments. In thematically organized chapters, this thesis examines sensory education, nutrition and food related obstacles. This is the first study in the United States in which the experience of food provisioning, preparation of food, and consumption of food are described from the perspective of Blind and Visually Impaired Americans. In this qualitative study, food experience and the eating choices of the blind and visually impaired Americans were examined. Influential factors on the experience of food were also explored.

The trend to mainstream visually impaired students in British Columbia over the last seven years has resulted in new teacher roles--those of itinerant or resource room teachers. Changing caseloads, teaching technology and philosophy have created a dynamic milieu in which such teachers operate. This study was undertaken to fill a gap in exploratory research data on some of the factors that determine the role of these teachers in this province. A questionnaire was designed and completed by the 44 teachers of the visually impaired in British Columbia. Results of the study gave information from 40 responding teachers regarding teaching training characteristics, work setting, details on the size and characteristics of caseloads and the orientation of services. A beginning was also made in determining some common concerns and issues in the field. The need for further research in many of these areas in addition to role definition was suggested to be of benefit to both specialist teachers and other professionals with whom they consult.
Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate

This study was designed to compare the effects of a multisensory art criticism approach with a traditional (visual) art criticism approach in interpreting a work of art. Parade (1960) by Jacob Lawrence was the artwork chosen for the study. Two groups of visually impaired and blind high school participated in this study. Group 1 received the multisensory instruction, which included music, and tactile stimuli, and then the traditional instruction. Group 2 received the same exercises but in the opposite order. All students (N = 18) completed two assessments on their knowledge and interpretation of the work on Likert-type affective scales. Assessment 1 came after the first treatment for each group and assessment 2 came after the second treatment for each group. Results implied that there was an interaction between scores based on which method was presented first. The scores indicated that multisensory instruction is more effective after traditional instruction is presented.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2002.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-68).
This thesis documents the adaptation and extension of an existing computational construction kit, and its use by a community of learners previously unaddressed - blind and visually impaired children. This community has an intimate relationship with the digital and assistive technologies that they rely on for carrying out their everyday tasks, but have no tools for designing and creating their own devices. Using a computational construction kit, created around the latest Programmable Brick (the Cricket), children can write programs to interact with the world around them using sensors, speech synthesis, and numerous other actuators. The Cricket system was extended with a number of specific modules, and redesigned to better suit touch and sound-based interaction patterns. This thesis documents an initial technology implementation and presents case studies of activities carried out with a small group of visually impaired teenagers. These case studies serve to highlight specific domains of knowledge that were discovered to be especially relevant for this community. Much of this work impacts approaches, technologies, and activities for sighted users of the Programmable Brick.
by Rahul Bhargava.
S.M.

One of the major challenges faced by the blind and the visually impaired in their daily activities, is independent navigation in an urban setting. There may be protrusions, potholes, excavations, vehicles, etc. on their path. The main aim of the assistive devices is to make the visually impaired or the blind more independent and self-sufficient. White canes and guide dogs are the primitive mobility aids they use. Currently there are many Electronic Travel Aids (ETA) and Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) available in the market such as the smart canes, radix rotating cone, etc.

This project presents the development, hardware implementation and testing of an Electronic Travel Aid (ETA) system, which can be used by the blind or the visually impaired for independent navigation within an urban environment. The system uses nRf24L01+ radio modules to communicate information about the street grid to user. The information includes distance to the next intersection, structure of the intersection, intersection name, and pedestrian signal status. The information is received on a hand-held device and can be converted to a voice signal by a speech synthesis device.

This thesis describes the process of designing a system for visually impaired users to identify objects. Smartphones are empowering visually impaired people by providing independence. The two major mobile operating systems, Android and iOS, both include screen reading software. By enabling this feature, the content of the screen is read out loud and the way of interaction is changed. These screen readers have been further investigated to optimize the user experience. Furthermore, several options for identifying objects have been explored. The system has been evaluated by over a hundred blind and visually impaired users. This thesis presents how the design of the system was iteratively improved and in which way it is now being used.
Denna avhandling beskriver processen med att utforma ett system för synskadade användare för att identifiera objekt. Smartphones ger upphov till synskadade genom att ge oberoende. De två stora mobila operativsystemen, Android och iOS, båda innehåller skärmläsningsprogram. Genom att aktivera denna funktion läses skärmens innehåll högt och interaktionsvägen har ändrats. Dessa skärmsläsare har vidare undersökt användarupplevelsen. Dessutom har flera alternativ för att identifiera objekt undersökts. Systemet har utvärderats av över hundra blinda och synskadade användare. Avhandlingen presenterar hur systemets utformning har förbättrats och på vilket sätt den nu används.

This thesis examines the role of vision in language development by focusing on: first, the understanding blind infants have of objects, actions/events and the way they start to talk about these aspects of their environment; and, second, the ways visual information contributes to conceptual and lexical development in sighted infants. Until recently, research has predominantly focused on infants' understanding of objects and their understanding of actions/events has been neglected. Since individuals who are blind predominantly have access to temporal, rather than spatial infomation and so are better able to process information about actions and events rather than objects, this bias seems to have led to the conclusion that an absence of visual information results in a cognitive deficit. Six blind/severely visually impaired infants and their sighted controls were studied for around a year using a range of quasi-experimental, parental report and observational techniques. The studies found little difference between the blind and sighted infants in the age of onset or rate at which first words are produced. However, blind infants were found to be delayed in the age at which they were able to comprehend and produce labels for objects and they produced few words for concrete, discrete objects. The finding that the blind infants were able to categorize objects/actions as well as generalise and extend their words calls into question Dunlea's (1989) claim that an absence of visual information leads to a cognitive deficit. It is argued that blind infants can make their way into language using a route which is merely one end of a spectrum of routes used by sighted infants. Implications are discussed for theories of lexical development (multiroute model, developmental lexical principles framework and the social-pragmatic framework) as well as for possible strategies facilitate conceptual and lexical development in blind/SVI and sighted infants.

Although much research exists on human behavior in online environments, research on users with disabilities is still rare. To draw more attention to this population, this dissertation explored browsing patterns and adaptive behaviors of people with visual disability across different online environments common in daily activities: social network, e-commerce, online information, and search engines’ websites. The main objective of this study is to propose a conceptual framework of how blind and visually impaired users browse and adapt to different web environments. We achieve this objective using a qualitative approach through three studies. In the first study, the researchers collect data by means of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six users with different levels of visual impairment. In the second study, we use survey questionnaires with open-ended questions to reach a larger sample of study participants. Finally, we conduct a follow-up observational study as means to confirm our results. Open, axial, and selective coding are used for data reduction and analysis as part of the grounded theory method.

This thesis asserts that modern developments in technology have not been used as extensively as they could to aid blind people in their learning objectives. The same could also be said of many aspects of other areas of their lives. In particular in many countries blind students are discouraged from learning mathematics because of the intrinsically visual nature of many of the topics and particularly geometry. For many young people mathematics is also not a subject that is easily or willingly tackled. The research presented here has thus sort to answer whether a playful haptic environment could be developed which would be attractive to blind users to learn and interact with geometric concepts. In the study a software tool using a haptic interface was developed with certain playful characteristics. The environment developed sought to give the blind users practice in interacting with three dimensional geometric shapes and the investigation of the size of these shapes and their cross-section. The playful elements were enhanced by adding elements of competition such as scores and time limits which promote competition between the users. The tests have shown that blind users can easily use the system to learn about three dimensional shapes and that practice increases their confidence in recognising shape and size of these objects.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 303 p.: ill. (some col.). Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Patricia Stuhr, Dept. of Art Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 262-276).

Includes bibliographical references.
KENGO KUMA suggests that fashion driven architecture is a thing of the past as occupants begin to demand more from the space that they inhabit. This project aims for an architecture that connects building and occupant through the use of light, and materials, and the connection of them and the human body. Programme: a training centre for the blind and visually impaired that aims to assist the reintegration of the non-sighted and sighted communities through their economic independence. The building would also offer spaces such as a cafe and a conference centre that would generate funds, making the running of the building itself self-reliant.

The development of human-computer interaction (HCI) systems, usable by people withvisual impairments is a progressing field of research. Similarly, the creation of audio-onlygames and digital tools has been investigated somewhat thoroughly, with many interestingresults. This thesis aims to combine the two fields in the creation of an audio-only digital tool,aimed at aiding visually impaired persons to navigate unknown areas. This is done by lookingat the field of HCI systems, and games for blind, and by looking at the concept of mentalmaps and spatial orientation within cognitive science. An application is created, evaluatedand tested based on a set number of criteria. An experiment is performed and the results areevaluated and compared to another digital tool in order to learn more about how to increasethe usability and functionality of digital tools for the visually impaired. The results give astrong indication towards how to best proceed with future research.

When people go to a mall, museums, or other such locations they tend to rely on maps to find their way around. However, for people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) maps are not easily accessible and they depend on other means, such as a guide, to get around. Research has only just begun to investigate providing maps for people who are BVI on touch screen devices. Many different types of feedback have been used: audio (sound), tactile (touch), audio-tactile, and multitouch. Some research has been conducted on the benefit of using multiple fingers (multitouch) and has found conflicting results. Yet, no known research has been conducted on the comparison of using audio feedback to that of tactile feedback. In this study, we look to try and answer two questions. 1.) Is audio equal to or better than tactile? As well as: 2.) Does multiple fingers help? Participants were asked to use seven different methods (4 audio, 3 tactile) to explore an overview map and an individual map and answer questions about them. Results showed that overall, audio cues are similar or better than tactile cues which is beneficial since it requires less battery to generate audio cues than tactile cues. It was also shown that the use of multiple fingers was more beneficial in tasks that are spatially demanding. While those who have tactile experience benefited when using two fingers with each finger represented by a different instrument played to separated ears.

This thesis explores how to design for the visually impaired. During the course of work, a literature study and interviews with blind and visually impaired people were conducted. The objective was to investigate what contextual information is wanted in new and unfamiliar spaces outside their home. The interviews also explored how they experience digital tools they are using today and what they think of the possibilities of voice and other user interfaces. The main finding from the study is that there are indications that multimodal interfaces are preferred. The interface should combine voice, haptic and graphics since the participants wanted to interact in different ways depending on functionality and context. Three main problem areas were identified, navigation, public transportation and shopping. Another result was that when developing for the visually impaired it should always be tested on people with a wide variation of vision loss to find the correct contextual information.

This thesis reports on two studies on the perception and cognition of space by individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Research was conducted with students from Dorton College at the Royal London Society for the Blind (RLSB) in Kent. The first experiment examined the content and accuracy of mental representations of a well-known environment. Students walked a route around the RLSB campus and learned the position of ten buildings and structures. They were then asked to make pointing judgments, estimate distances and complete a spatial cued model of the campus. The second experiment considered the wayflnding strategies and spatial coding heuristics used to explore a complex novel environment. Students were asked to explore a maze and learn the position of six different locations. Their search patterns were recorded and analyzed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Students were tested using the same methods as in the previous experiment and their performance was related to the type and frequency of strategies used during exploration. Results were complemented with a mobility questionnaire, a low vision quality of life questionnaire and data from a literacy and numeracy assessment as well as ethnographic material collected by the author during the two years spent working and living at the RLSB. The thesis begins with a discussion of disability and society framed within the context of geography, urban planning and design. The concepts of blindness and visual impairment are then examined with particular attention given to the psychosocial implications of visual loss. This is followed by a discussion of growth and development, and in-depth review of research on the development, content and accuracy of mental representations by the blind and visually impaired. Finally, the methods used to collect and analyse data for both experiments are considered in light of individual differences and the inadequacy of some statistical techniques to account for the heterogeneous nature of visual impairment. Results from the first experiment revealed significant differences in the accuracy and content of mental representation between the sighted, visually impaired and blind groups for the pointing and model construction tasks. Performance in the distance estimation task was similar across groups. Large individual differences were identified, with the performance of individuals in the same group varying according to the type and requirement of the task. Results from the second experiment also revealed significant differences between the different groups, this time for all three tasks. Here again, large individual differences were found within each group. An analysis of distortions revealed that despite a disparity in accuracy, the blind and visually impaired shared many of the systematic distortions typically found in the mental representation of sighted individuals further confirming their ability develop functional mental representations of space. Performance in the pointing, distance estimation and model construction tasks were also related to the type and frequency of strategies used to explore the maze with the best performers using a combination of egocentric and allocentric strategies. In general, results from the two experiments support the amodal notion that the construction of accurate mental representations of space is not limited to any particular sensory modality but facilitated by the visual system. It also emphasizes the need for mutually supportive techniques that incorporate both quantitative and qualitative methods in the collection and analysis of cognitive data.

This thesis presents the research carried out to investigate and achieve highly reliable and accurate navigation system of guidance for visually impaired pedestrians. The main aim with this PhD project has been to identify the limits and insufficiencies in utilising Network Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite Systems (NRTK GNSS) and its augmentation techniques within the frame of pedestrian applications in a variety of environments and circumstances. Moreover, the system can be used in many other applications, including unmanned vehicles, military applications, police, etc. NRTK GNSS positioning is considered to be a superior solution in comparison to the conventional standalone Global Positioning System (GPS) technique whose accuracy is highly affected by the distance dependent errors such as satellite orbital and atmospheric biases. Nevertheless, NRTK GNSS positioning is particularly constrained by wireless data link coverage, delays of correction and transmission and completeness, GPS and GLONASS signal availability, etc., which could downgrade the positioning quality of the NRTK results. This research is based on the dual frequency NRTK GNSS (GPS and GLONASS). Additionally, it is incorporated into several positioning and communication methods responsible for data correction while providing the position solutions, in which all identified contextual factors and application requirements are accounted. The positioning model operates through client-server based architecture consisted of a Navigation Service Centre (NSC) and a Mobile Navigation Unit (MNU). Hybrid functional approaches were consisting of several processing procedures allowing the positioning model to operate in position determination modes. NRTK GNSS and augmentation service is used if enough navigation information was available at the MNU using its local positioning device (GPS/GLONASS receiver).The positioning model at MNU was experimentally evaluated and centimetric accuracy was generally attained during both static and kinematic tests in various environments (urban, suburban and rural). This high accuracy was merely affected by some level of unavailability mainly caused by GPS and GLONASS signal blockage. Additionally, the influence of the number of satellites in view, dilution of precision (DOP) and age corrections (AoC) over the accuracy and stability of the NRTK GNSS solution was also investigated during this research and presented in the thesis. This positioning performance has outperformed the existing GPS service. In addition, utilising a simulation evaluation facility the positioning model at MNU performance was quantified with reference to a hybrid positioning service that will be offered by future Galileo Open Service (OS) along with GPS. However, a significant difference in terms of the service availability for the advantage of the hybrid system was experienced in all remaining scenarios and environments more especially the urban areas due to surrounding obstacles and conditions. As an outcome of this research a new and precise positioning model was proposed. The adaptive framework is understood as approaching an integration of the available positioning technology into the context of surrounding wireless communication for a maintainable performance. The positioning model has the capability of delivering indeed accurate, precise and consistent position solutions, and thus is fulfilling the requirements of visually impaired people navigation application, as identified in the adaptive framework.

Consumers evaluate products in the market place using their senses and often form mental representations of product properties. These mental representations have been studied extensively. Imagery has been shown to interact with perception within many perceptual modalities including vision, auditory, olfactory, and motor. This dissertation draws on the vast visual imagery literature to examine imagery in the haptic, or touch, modality. Two studies were undertaken to examine the relationship between haptic imagery and haptic perception The first study is based on studies from cognitive psychology that have used similar methods for examining visual imagery and visual perception. In study 1, sighted and visually impaired participants were asked to evaluate objects haptically, to form a haptic image of that object during a short interval, and then to compare the haptic image to a second object. In Study 2, sighted and visually impaired participants listened to five radio advertisements containing imagery phrases from multiple modalities. After listening to the advertisements, participants were asked to recall the ad content and assess both the ad and the product while haptically evaluating the product in the ad. Though results were mixed and further exploration will be necessary, these studies offer broad implications for consumer use of haptic imagery in shopping environments. The implications for both sighted and blind consumers are discussed.

The purpose of this research project was to explore how field experience can be used to increase understanding and researcher behaviours in young adults who are blind or visually impaired. This study probed effective teaching methods and solutions to accessibility issues through high-level participation in a field ecology research setting involving marine mammals. The weeklong program was executed in a pre-existing long-term gray whale ecology research site in Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia. Four research questions guided the overall planning of the program. The concentration of effort was applied to adapting the field site and equipment in order for students to use and access the resources during planned multisensory activities. Three post-secondary students spent a week in the field becoming active marine mammal researchers. Data for this study were gathered through a variety of qualitative methods including vocabulary checklists, journal writing, a group case study and questionnaires. The results of this program have implications for educational opportunities by highlighting how addressing and offering learning tools that appeal to a variety of learners can create new and vital opportunities for students who are visually impaired.

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico
Due to altered visual function, blind people are more exposed to risk factors of hypertension, a situation that proves the need to promote educational actions to prevent this disease. The objective was to develop affordable online course for the blind ones on prevention of hypertension. It was used Development Model of Digital Educational Material composed by five phases entitled Analysis and Planning; modeling; implementation; Evaluation and Maintenance; Distribution. In Analysis and Planning phase the product was characterized. The course about hypertension in online mode was directed to blind population. It was built in modeling a script and it was added a content to multimedia elements, being transformed into the pages for internet format with definition of navigation tools and design. There was obtained 15 pages that were divided into six educational modules. The study followed the accessibility standards of national documents (e-MAG) and international (WCAG). In the Deployment it was submit the accessibility evaluating course pages. Initially we used the software ASES that generated Error Reporting, accusing infringement of four national recommendations and three international principles. The pages were reviewed, and the inconsistencies were corrected. In the second test, the pages were lodged into SOLAR environment. It was contacted four blind people whom rated platform accessibility and usability of the platform by performing sequential activities of navigation. It was found that the SOLAR is partially accessible as it found some accessibility barriers (lack of field identification, disposal and inadequate identification fields and links; elements that prevented reading the content in a logical sequence and using the mouse). Therefore, the SOLAR needs improvement to facilitate navigation by the blind. The course components such as texts; images; audio and links were considered accessible, and the initial difficulty in navigation was, to be hosted, on the platform that needed improvements. The Evaluation and Maintenance occurred throughout the course preparation and the distribution will be addressed in further studies. The course did not suffer any changes and the prototype implemented in SOLAR was taken as the result of the research. It concludes that build online course as assistive technology for the blind is a viable task. This study provides information about prevention of hypertension and equal access to digital educational materials. The study encourages nurses to develop affordable technologies for health promotion of blind people.
Devido alteraÃÃo da funÃÃo visual, cegos estÃo mais expostos aos fatores de risco da hipertensÃo, situaÃÃo que comprova a necessidade de promover aÃÃes educativas para prevenir esta patologia. Objetivou-se desenvolver curso online acessÃvel para cegos sobre prevenÃÃo da hipertensÃo. Utilizou-se Modelo de Desenvolvimento de Material Educativo Digital composto por cinco fases intituladas AnÃlise e Planejamento; Modelagem; ImplementaÃÃo; AvaliaÃÃo e ManutenÃÃo; DistribuiÃÃo. Na fase AnÃlise e Planejamento o produto foi caracterizado. Direcionou-se o curso aos cegos com tema sobre hipertensÃo na modalidade online. Na Modelagem construiu-se conteÃdo em roteiro e agregou-se elementos de multimÃdia, sendo transformado em pÃginas no formato para internet com definiÃÃo das ferramentas de navegaÃÃo e design. Obteve-se 15 pÃginas divididas em seis mÃdulos didÃticos. Seguiu-se os padrÃes de acessibilidade dos documentos nacionais (e-MAG) e internacionais (WCAG). Na ImplementaÃÃo submeteu-se as pÃginas do curso a avaliaÃÃo de acessibilidade. Inicialmente utilizou-se software ASES que gerou RelatÃrio de Erros, acusando infraÃÃo de quatro recomendaÃÃes nacionais e trÃs princÃpios internacionais. As pÃginas foram revisadas, sendo corrigidas as inconsistÃncias. No segundo teste, hospedou-se as pÃginas no ambiente SOLAR. Contactou-se quatro pessoas cegas que avaliaram acessibilidade e usabilidade da plataforma e curso mediante realizaÃÃo de atividades sequenciais de navegaÃÃo. Verificou-se que o SOLAR à parcialmente acessÃvel, pois foram encontradas algumas barreiras de acessibilidade (ausÃncia de identificaÃÃo de campos; disposiÃÃo e identificaÃÃo inadequada de campos e links; elementos que impediam leitura do conteÃdo em sequÃncia lÃgica e uso do mouse). Logo, o SOLAR necessita de melhorias para facilitar a navegaÃÃo por cegos. Os componentes do curso, tais como textos; imagens; Ãudio e links foram considerados acessÃveis, sendo que a dificuldade inicial na navegaÃÃo ocorreu por estar hospedado na plataforma que necessita de aprimoramentos. A AvaliaÃÃo e ManutenÃÃo ocorreu durante toda elaboraÃÃo do curso e a DistribuiÃÃo serà contemplada em estudo posterior. O curso nÃo sofreu modificaÃÃes e o protÃtipo implementado no SOLAR foi considerado resultado final da pesquisa. Conclui-se que construir curso online como tecnologia assistiva para cegos à tarefa viÃvel. Este oferece conhecimento sobre prevenÃÃo da hipertensÃo e igualdade de acesso a materiais educativos digitais. O estudo estimula enfermeiros a desenvolver tecnologias acessÃveis para promoÃÃo da saÃde das pessoas cegas.

Blind and visually impaired (BVI) users desire an indoor navigation tool that is inexpensive, convenient, and reliable. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the feasibility of using a smartphone as a platform for such a navigation tool. A good navigation tool should have both a good positioning accuracy and a user-friendly interface. Thus, one focus of this thesis is to improve the performance of an indoor positioning systems running on smartphones, as compared to existing systems. Another focus is to customize this indoor positioning system specifically for BVI users.  The proposed indoor positioning system is based upon Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). It consists of two parts: BLE beacons deployed in the user’s environment and an Android phone which calculates its position and provides navigation assistance by audio and vibration. Two versions of the positioning software were developed based on different algorithms. One version uses a hybrid technique combining triangulation and fingerprinting. This version achieves a positioning accuracy of 1.83 meter, and volunteers (blind-folded sighted people) took on average 91.7 seconds to complete a complex 12-meter route. The other version uses a proximity algorithm, thus it does not give as accurate positioning results. With this algorithm, a blind user was able to finish a route of 115 meters consisting of two different floors in a building including entering/exiting an elevator and multiple office doors in 4 minutes 48 seconds. The blind user found the product to be helpful and user-friendly. Finally, we draw the conclusion that a smartphone can be a good platform for a BVI navigation tool, under the condition that the algorithm is proximity based and navigation utilizes a priori information about the environment. Another insight we gained is that we should put beacons on braille signs so that blind people can find them by using the navigation app.
Blinda och synskadade (BVI) användare önskar sej ett inomhus navigeringsverktyg som är billigt, bekvämt och pålitligt. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka möjligheten att med en smartphone och utplacerade fyrar/beacons ge en bra plattform för en inomhus navigeringsmetod. Ett bra navigationsverktyg bör ha både en bra positioneringsnoggrannhet och ett användarvänligt gränssnitt. Således är ett fokus för detta arbete att förbättra prestanda för på ett inomhus positioneringssystem som körs på smartphones, jämfört med andra befintliga system. Ett annat fokus är att anpassa denna inomhus positioneringssystem för speciella BVI användare. Det vidare utvecklade inomhuspositionering systemet bygger på Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Den består av två delar: BLE fyrar/beacons utplacerade i kontorsmiljön och en smartphone som beräknar sin position och ger navigeringshjälp av ljud/röst och vibrationer. Vi utformade två versioner av positionerings programvaran med olika algoritmer. En version använder en hybridteknik med triangulering och en med fingerprints. Det uppnår en positioneringsnoggrannhet som är <1,83 meter och den testades på tolv seende personer med bindel för ögonen. Det tog vid testet 91.7 sekunder i genomsnitt att utföra en komplex 12 meter lång bana. Den andra versionen använder en närhets-algoritm som inte ger ett specifikt positioneringsresultat. Med denna algoritm kunde en blind användare avsluta en rutt 115 meter bestående av två olika våningar från ingång i golvplanet samt ta en hiss och gå in på ett kontor och genom hela kontoret på 4 minuter och 48 sekunder. Den blinda användaren ansåg att navigeringsverktyget var både användbart och användarvänligt. Slutligen, drar vi slutsatsen att en smartphone kan vara en bra plattform för ett BVI navigeringsverktyg och då under förutsättning att algoritmen tar med närhet/position och inomhusmiljöinformation för att ge bästa möjliga användbarthet. En annan insikt vi fått är att vi ska lägga fyrar på punktskrift tecken så att blinda kan hitta dem med hjälp av navigering app.

Beauty defined by nonvisual means is an area of exploration long overdue. The question on what or whom is considered beautiful or attractive is often left up to each individual, and dependent on the culture in which said beauty is visually seen. This research identified the physical characteristics of Western standards of beauty among women who are visually impaired. The main objective was to explore how women who are visually impaired or blind defined both physical and non-physical beauty, in addition to how they navigated ocularcentric standards of beauty. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 women who are visually impaired or blind that live within the United States. Their interviews were transcribed and analyzed to critique the components of beauty within the cultural lens of women who are visually impaired or blind. What was taken from the data was then used to consider ways in which women can empower themselves without using visual means to define and describe who they are.

xiii, 103 p. : ill. (some col.)
This research investigates the relationship between map use tasks, spatial abilities and training-based effects in persons who are blind or visually impaired. A mixed-method approach using theories and methods in behavioral geography, tactile cartography and functional magnetic resonance imaging have produced finds that identify both behaviorally-based as well as biologically-based impacts resulting from systematic tactile map use and spatial thinking training. The neurological results indicate that prior to training a dominant egocentric/route strategy is used to answer all experimental map tasks, while after training an allocentric/survey strategy is used. The current study demonstrates that the adoption of an allocentric perspective is coupled with improved behavioral performance. The findings provide supporting evidence that people who are blind are capable of learning and applying sophisticated spatial strategies. The systematic progression from egocentric/route processing to allocentric/survey processing in the participant population follows traditional developmental models of spatial knowledge.
Committee in charge: Amy Lobben, Chairperson; Andrew Marcus, Member; Patrick Bartlein, Member; Michal Young, Outside Member

Inclusive education has increased in popularity over the last two decades. Inclusiveclassrooms consist of children from diverse backgrounds and with variousimpairments, with special educational needs. Children with special educationalneeds in vision require assistive tools to access visual information. Topics thatmake strong use of such information, e.g. geometry, can therefore be challengingfor children with visual impairments or blindness (VIB) as well as their teachers.Assistive tools like video magniers and physical objects in the shape ofgeometric gures are used to aid VIB in learning basic geometry. Researchershave investigated tools and applications to aid VIB in learning geometry byusing haptic or auditory feedback as well as combinations of these. However,the tools are often not created with considering the classroom environment. Tounderstand the situation and challenges of these two stakeholders (VIBs andtheir teachers) better, a preliminary questionnaire was conducted. Five participantsof each of the two groups lled out the questionnaires. A concept for anAndroid tablet application to convey pre-existing geometric shapes and theirannotations to VIB, using sound feedback and sonication was created andpartly developed in two incremental implementation phases. The shapes arerecreated on the tablet using elements like circles and paths and then enhancedwith sound feedback to guide VIB to the various elements. With an iterativedesign, the two prototype increments were evaluated. The rst evaluation wasan usability study. Using seven blindfolded, young adult participants, feedbackwas gathered on dierent combinations between sound, tactile, and vibrationfeedback, as well as the general usability of the application for an validation ofthe approach. Each participants was presented the dierent approaches in anotherorder. For each approach, they were asked to explore three basic geometricshapes and then, without blindfold, draw these shapes. The time for applicationinteraction was measured and overall observation notes were taken. After eachapproach a short questionnaire was given to the participant. Another longerquestionnaire was conducted after all approaches were tested. It was foundthat sound feedback alone is not sucient in precisely conveying the geometricshapes to the users. However, combined with tactile objects to mark positionsof vertices on the screen the result improved signicantly and this approach wasfavored by the participants. The usability of the application is good but hasroom for improvement. A study was conducted with two teachers as expertslater on with the second prototype version. Two teachers with several yearsof experience teaching geometry to VIB in inclusive settings were interviewedconcerning the expected usability of the application for VIB and in the classroom,as well as general challenges and possibilities of including the applicationinto geometry lectures. As the teachers were located in Germany, they weresent a video demonstrating the application. One interview was conducted overemail while the other was conducted over Skype. The only challenges identiedare the media anity of teachers and the reliability of technology. VIB are notexpected to face challenges in utilizing the application and teachers could havemore freedom in the geometric shapes they present to their class.

An increasing amount of information content used in schools, work and everyday living is being presented in graphical form, creating accessibility challenges for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, especially in dynamic environments, such as over the internet. Refreshable haptic displays that can interact with computers can be used to access such information tactually. Main focus of this study was the development of specialized computer applications allowing users to actively compensate for the inherent issues of haptics when exploring visual diagrams as compared to vision, which we hypothesized, would improve the usability of such devices. An intuitive zooming algorithm capable of automatically detecting significant different zoom levels, providing auditory feedback, preventing cropping of information and preventing zooming in on areas where no features were present was developed to compensate for the lower spatial resolution of haptics and was found to significantly improve the performance of the participants. Another application allowing the users to perform dynamic simplifications on the diagram to compensate for the serial based nature of processing 2D geometric information was tested and found to significantly improve the performance of the participants. For both applications participants liked the user interface and found it more usable, as expected. In addition, in this study we investigated methods that can be used to effectively present different visual features as well as overlaying features present in the visual diagrams. Three methods using several combinations of tactile and auditory modalities were tested. We found that the performance significantly improves when using the overlapping method using different modalities. For tactile only methods developed for deaf blind individuals, the toggle method was surprisingly preferred as compared to the overlapping method.

In the 1960s, a group of blind activists, led by a charismatic young blind leader, attempted to take control of a residential school for the blind in Vinton, Iowa. The group of activists belonged to the Iowa Association of the Blind, the state affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB); the leader was Kenneth Jernigan, the first blind director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind; and the school was the Iowa Braille and Sight-Saving School (IBSSS), a venerable institution founded in the mid nineteenth century, and a cornerstone and iconic institution in the small northeast Iowa farming community of Vinton. Through the decade of the 1960s, Iowa was the central front of a civil rights movement, led by blind people determined to implement a new philosophy of blindness against what they perceived to be the entrenched power of sighted rehabilitation and education professionals. For ten years the Iowa Commission for the Blind and the Braille School were at odds with each other as both institutions fought for the hearts and minds of blind adults and children. Constant friction marked relations between the director of the Commission and the superintendent of the school, the former a blind activist administrator, the latter a sighted professional educator of the blind. The former, along with the organized blind whom he led, were not willing to let professionals speak for them, but insisted on speaking for themselves. The blind came to see the Braille School as the biggest obstacle to achieving their goals of advancing the civil rights of the blind in Iowa and beyond. The solution was to seek to take control of the school from the University Board of Regents and put it under the authority of the Commission for the Blind. The effort nearly succeeded, but the cost grew too high, and the battle for the Braille School would mark the beginning of the end of Jernigan's time in Iowa and set back the blind movement in ways not recognized until much later. Blind citizens in the 1940s and 50s faced widespread and entrenched discrimination. The ability to work, to own one's home, to travel independently on public transportation, to serve on trial juries, to vote, to adopt children, to raise families, were rights that no law guaranteed. The Architectual Barriers Act, Rehabilitation Act, Education of All Handicapped Children Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act were all still decades in the future. It was the hope of Kenneth Jernigan and the blind whom he led to use the vocational rehabilitation program for the blind in Iowa to secure some of the rights the blind lacked, and to advance a new vision of what it meant to be blind.

Blind and visually impaired students are under-represented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines of higher education and the workforce. This is due primarily to the difficulties they encounter in trying to succeed in mathematics courses. While there are sufficient tools available to create Braille content, including the special Nemeth Braille used in the U.S. for mathematics constructs, there are very few tools to allow a blind or visually impaired student to create his/her own mathematical content in a manner that sighted individuals can use. The software tools that are available are isolated, do not interface well with other common software, and may be priced for institutional use instead of individual use. Instructors are unprepared or unable to interact with these students in a real-time manner. All of these factors combine to isolate the blind or visually impaired student in the study of mathematics. Nemeth Braille is a complete mathematical markup system in Braille, containing everything that is needed to produce quality math content at all levels of complexity. Blind and visually impaired students should not have to learn any additional markup languages in order to produce math content. This work addressed the needs of the individual blind or visually impaired student who must be able to produce mathematical content for course assignments, and who wishes to interact with peers and instructors on a real-time basis to share mathematical content. Two tools were created to facilitate mathematical interaction: a Nemeth Braille editor, and a real-time instant messenger chat capability that supports Nemeth Braille and MathML constructs. In the Visually Impaired view, the editor accepts Nemeth Braille input, displays the math expressions in a tree structure which will allow sub-expressions to be expanded or collapsed. The Braille constructs can be translated to MathML for display within MathType. Similarly, in the Sighted view, math constructs entered in MathType can be translated into Nemeth Braille. Mathematical content can then be shared between sighted and visually impaired users via the instant messenger chat capability. Using Math in the Dark software, blind and visually impaired students can work math problems fully in Nemeth Braille and can seamlessly convert their work into MathML for viewing by sighted instructors. The converted output has the quality of professionally produced math content. Blind and VI students can also communicate and share math constructs with a sighted partner via a real-time chat feature, with automatic translation in both directions, allowing VI students to obtain help in real-time from a sighted instructor or tutor. By eliminating the burden of translation, this software will help to remove the barriers faced by blind and VI students who wish to excel in the STEM fields of study.

Eye conditions associated with visual impairment and blindness in children, such as congenital cataract, can lead to long lasting visual problems if treatment is delayed. There is need to determine which method can be more effective in identifying blind and visual impaired children. In this study, two methods of identifying blind and visual impaired children (using key informants versus using health surveillance assistants) were compared in a randomised community study conducted in three districts in Southern Malawi. The ministry of Health was advocating for the training of Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) in primary eye care, which included case detection and refer of blind and visually impaired children; and the alternative was the training of key informants (KIs). The study was done to compare the effectiveness of the two methods of case identification and to provide guidelines on optimal approaches of identifying blind and severely visually impaired children in Malawi. Twelve clusters (group of villages) were selected, and six were randomly assigned to each group. After training in case identification and referral, Key informants and Heath surveillance assistant identified children from the clusters, within a six-week period, and the number of blind and visual impaired children identified in each group was determined and compared. In total, 159 Key informants and 151 Health Surveillance Assistants were selected and trained, and they identified 550 children with eye problems, among whom, after examination, only 15.1 % were blind or severely visually impaired. Key informants identified one and half times more blind/severally visual impaired children than HSAs (37 vs 22).The prevalence estimates of blindness among children identified by KIs was 3.3 per 10,000 (95% CI 2.7-3.9), while the prevalence estimates of blindness among children identified by HSAs was 1.9 per 10,000 (95% CI 1.3-2.5).The difference was statistically significant (P=0.03), but overall the number of children identified by both groups was lower than was the expected from prevalence estimates of 8.0 per 10,000. False positives between HSAs and KIs were comparable, with 68.8% of children identified by HSAs as blind, confirmed blind on examination, in comparison to 72.5% of children identified by KIs, also confirmed as blind on examination. Cortical blindness seconded by cataract were the commonest causes of blindness. In conclusion, Keys informants were more effective than Health Surveillance assistants in identifying blind and visually impaired children in Malawi, and this study supports and confirms findings from other areas.

Det finns begränsad tillgång till pussel för personer med synfel (inklusive blinda personer). För att undersöka behovet av potentiella användare i 3D kartpussel och identifiera deras preferenser, behov och krav, användes en kvalitativ metod som på engelska kallas ”participatory design”. Projektet utfördes i Kreta och alla deltagare kom från ön. Då Icke-standardiserade subjekt användes i forskningsprojektet användes lämpliga tillgängliga metoder och kommunikationsvägar för att anpassa studien för denna grupp. Stor vikt lades ner på bakgrundsstudier, inklusive intervjuer med experter och undersökning av befintligt material inom detta ämne.  För att underlätta förståelsen av konceptet och skapa en gemensam referensram för alla deltagare gjordes funktionella 3D prototyper av  kartpussel föreställande Kreta. Prototyperna gjordes i trä, antingen tall eller MDF. Därefter organiserades fokusgrupper och intervjuer. I fokusgrupperna deltog vuxna och barn med synnedsättning. Aktiviteterna var scenariokreation, utvärdering av användarvänlighet och en enkätundersökning som fylldes in av de som kunde (personer med tillräckligt god syn).  Data som samlades analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativa och kvantitativa metoder. Resultatet av testerna visade potentiella användarvänlighetsproblem för prototyperna, de flesta relaterade till synskadade individers erfarenheter av linkande produkter. Dessutom identifierades deltagarnas preferenser och behov angående temat, storlek, material, typ av samband och andra faktorer av pusslet.  Resultaten visar att osäkerhet eller brist på bekräftelse huruvida pusselbitarna var lagda rätt eller fel var den största svårigheten bland deltagare med synnedsättning. Den mest populära metoden för låsning av pusselbitarna bland de med synnedsättning var ”fit in a frame” och ”magnets”. Majoriteten av deltagarna uppmuntrade att lägga till färger på pusslet och markera olika städer. Sex av åtta deltagare var intresserade av att köpa pussel liknande det som de testat. Av 22 icke synskadade personer svarade nio av dem att det är möjligt att de skulle köpa pusslet och elva svarade att det är väldigt möjligt att de skulle köpa tredimensionella pussel. Mer än hälften såg färger som ett tilläggselement på pusslet. De två mest populära låsningsmetoderna var ”loose contact” och ”fit in a frame”. Angående materialvalet, togs trä emot väl av både synskadade och icke-synskadade testpersoner. Träprototyper  var dock det enda tillgängliga under testet. Deltagare gav flera förslag angående temat, storlek och extra egenskaper för produkten. Det resulterade i att många idéer genererades under ”workshopen”. Utfall, problem och begränsningar relaterade till de använda metoderna diskuterades och rekommendationer för framtida studier gjordes.
There are a limited number of puzzles accessible to visually impaired people (including the blind population) and also limited 3D map-puzzles available in the market. In order to explore the interest of potential users in 3D map-puzzles and identify their preferences, needs and demands, a participatory design approach was adopted. The project took place in Crete and all participants came from the local population. Because of the non-standard population included in this research project (visually impaired people) accessible methods and means of communication had to be selected. Therefore an extensive background research was performed, including interviews with experts and a thorough study of existing knowledge and previous research in related fields.  Aiming to facilitate understanding of the concept and to provide a common point of reference for all participants, functional prototypes of a 3D map-puzzle of the island of Crete were developed and manufactured. Prototypes were made of wood, either Pine or MDF. Subsequently, focus group and interview sessions were organized. Visually impaired and sighted, adults and children, participated in these sessions which included usability testing of the prototypes, scenario creation and a questionnaire (for the sighted participants). Data collected in the conducted sessions were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The results revealed usability problems of the prototypes and provided signs of potential problems, most of them related to the use of similar products by visually impaired individuals. Additionally, preferences and needs of the participants about the theme, the size, the material, the type of connection and other elements of the puzzle, were identified. According to the findings, the most severe problem, occurring when visually impaired participants tried to assemble the puzzle, was the uncertainty or “lack of confirmation” whether pieces were assembled in the right way or not. The most popular connection types among visually impaired participants were “fit in a frame” and “magnet”. Additionally, the majority of visually impaired participants were in favor of adding colors on the puzzle and marks for the different cities. Regarding buying interest, six out of eight visually impaired participants stated that they would buy a puzzle like the one they tested. Out of the twenty-two sighted participants, nine answered that it is “possible” and eleven answered that it is “highly possible” to buy a 3D map-puzzle. More than half of the sighted participants selected colors as an additional element on the puzzle while the two most popular connection types were “loose contact” and “fit in a frame”. Regarding the material of the puzzle, wood was well accepted by both sighted and visually impaired participants. However, only prototypes made from wood were available to the participants.  Additionally, participants made various suggestions regarding the theme, the size and additional elements of a 3D puzzle. As a result, many ideas were produced during the sessions. Eventually, outcomes, problems and limitations related to the methods used during the study were discussed and recommendations for future work were made.

This dissertation presents work towards the development of a multiple finger, worn, dynamic display device, which utilizes a method of texture encoded information to haptically render graphical images for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The device interacts directly with the computer screen, using the colors and patterns displayed by the image as a means to encode complex patterns of vibrotactile output, generating the texture feedback to render the image. In turn, the texture feedback was methodically designed to enable parallel processing of certain coarse information, speeding up the exploration of the diagram and improving user performance. The design choices were validated when individuals who are blind or visually impaired, using the multi-fingered display system, performed three-times better using textured image representations versus outline representations. Furthermore, in an open-ended object identification task, the display device saw on average two-times better performance accuracy than that previously observed for raised-line diagrams, the current standard for tactile diagrams.

College students with visual disabilities are less likely to graduate than their sighted counterparts. The purpose of this study was to understand the life experiences of successful college students with visual disabilities. Concepts of risk and resiliency were used as a conceptual framework for understanding how people can have positive outcomes in spite of adversity. Individual, family, school, and community influences were explored. In-depth interviews were conducted with six participants who have vision impairments and were nearing the completion or had recently completed a college degree. Data were analyzed for common themes and meanings using a phenomenological method advanced by Moustakas (1994). Validity threats were minimized through triangulation, member checks, and thick data. Risk and protective factors in the context of family, school, and community for successful college students with visual disabilities were identified. Implications for rehabilitation counselors, college counselors, and special education teachers were discussed. Interventions to move students with visual disabilities toward resiliency and minimize the impact of risk factors that impede success were proposed. Suggestions for future research were offered.

Orientation in big administration buildings can be very difficult for visually impaired people. Although most of the buildings are equipped with elevators, the buttons of which are designated with Braille characters and acoustic signals, it might be very difficult for the visually impaired to actually find the particular office. Even if there were descriptions in Braille at each office door, it would prove very complicating for the visually impaired individual to localize the descriptions in the first place, especially in case of a large number of offices in the building. That may also concern other important places, such as toilets, inside a building. In this thesis, I am going to present a design proposal of a communication system which uses transceivers placed at significant points in a building and receivers placed at the end of the white cane for orientation inside a building.

This inquiry examines why UK legal and social policy has not prevented the employment exclusion of visually impaired people. Visual Impairment is one of the largest impairment constituencies. As a result, mainstream access solutions are, increasingly, freely available in computers, phones and tablets. This provides the possibility of effective job productivity in virtually every workplace. Discrimination is also ostensibly illegal, yet visually impaired people are facing long term exclusion from the labour market. The investigation starts by offering some demographic evidence to justify this inquiry by assembling evidence for the relative size of the visual impairment population, and their employment exclusion. I will also outline some objective technological factors which should now support the employment of visually impaired people. Then, in Pari One, I commence with a historic contextualisation of social, economic and political drivers that have shaped our current legal and social policy framework. This will discuss the extent to which our current legal framework is an expression of historic pressures for reform. In Part Two, I shall evaluate current law and policy against its stated aims. shall examine how the drivers for, and resistance to, reform have found expression in our current framework. I examine the consequent paradoxes and contradictions played out in the history of discrimination law, including the strange death and resurrection of disability indirect discrimination. I try to outline why there may be only limited cause for optimism with the law in its current form. In Part Three, I shall propose practical reform to the current legislative and social policy framework. I will develop the case for collective, as opposed to individualised, social policy responses. I will propose a new system of Positive Enforcement of Disability Discrimination Law. This part will conclude by addressing the economic consequences of these reforms, and assemble economic evidence to support the inclusion of visually impaired people in employment. Finally, in Part 4 of this inquiry, I shall conclude with an examination of principles which could guide the future formulation of legal and social policy. I will consider the contemporary challenges to The Social Model of Disability. This Part considers what support the Social Model could receive from the Human Rights paradigm, including an analysis of the Capabilities Approach. Finally I consider what support the Social Model could receive from a new Politics of Disablement. The politics of identity management, dependency, and impairment will be investigated to establish what positive support could be politically assembled for the employment inclusion of visually impaired people.

Dissertation (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to develop a HIV intervention programme tailored for South African adolescents with visual impairments. A further aim was to pilot and evaluate this tailored programme. This investigation was deemed necessary in the light of the growing HIV pandemic in South Africa, which has proliferated over the last 10 years. Adolescents and young adults are among the most vulnerable to HIV infection, and this does not exclude adolescents with visual impairments. Despite the perceptions among sighted people of asexuality in adolescents with visual impairments, they are a vulnerable group for HIV infection. The motivation for this study is the fact that very little literature is available on HIV/AIDS and people with visual impairments, and that this vulnerable group is marginalized in HIV/AIDS campaigns internationally. As far as we could ascertain, there have been three HIV prevention initiatives for people with visual impairments in South Africa, none of which was fully researched and evaluated, and all of which used existing generic interventions but transcribed into Braille and large print format. The reality is, many adolescents with visual impairments, as is the case with sighted youths, are sexually active, and the absence of research on HIV prevalence and HIV prevention needs in this sector, is conspicuous. An urgent need exists to tailor HIV preventative programmes for this vulnerable sector. The dearth of research on HIV/AIDS and people with visual impairments motivated the choice of a key informant study to investigate the effects that HIV/AIDS and other concomitant issues have on persons with visual impairments, prior to the design of any intervention. A purposive sample of key informants who are working among people with visual impairments on a daily basis, most of whom had visual impairments themselves, was selected. Information gathered from the key informant study was combined with the lessons from a review of available literature on health promotion programmes and HIV prevention programmes in particular to develop an HIV/AIDS intervention programme to be piloted and evaluated for its effectiveness. The design of the programme took account, in addition, of broader contextual issues such as power and gender issues, and the marginalization and stigmatization of disabled people. The theoretical framework which forms the basis of the programme was informed by elements of a number of cognitive theories in the health promotion field, and especially the Informational-Motivational-Behavioural model (IMF). The programme was designed to empower participants and to create an environment of reallife experiences in which they could acquire important negotiation skills, decision-making skills, and practical skills to use condoms and HIV/AIDS knowledge to facilitate attitude and behaviour change. The next objective of this research was to implement the intervention programme of eight sessions designed for adolescents with visual impairments and to investigate the outcome on participants in this study. For this purpose an experimental design, one experimental group and three control groups (n= 56), not randomly assigned, was used to test the effect of the programme on participants in the intervention group compared to the control groups, who received a health promotion programme of four sessions. All participants were learners at the only two schools for learners with visual impairments in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, and they were allocated into treatment or control conditions on the basis of the school grades in which they were already placed. The empirical investigation utilized a questionnaire that was developed and transcribed into Braille as well as large print. Following a small pilot study, the questionnaire was finalized and administered to all four groups (pre-test, to determine baseline differences; post-test, to determine the immediate effect of the programme; and follow-up [3 months later] to determine longer term effectiveness). An analysis was done to assess the internal consistency of the measuring constructs of the questionnaire, and satisfactory internal consistency was found, with Cronbach’s alpha scores ranging between 0.72 and 0.92. Quantitative data were analyzing using multivariate techniques, beginning with a repeated measures MANOVA analysis and, once an overall significant F ratio between variables, time and groups (F=2.009, p<0.05); a significant F ratio between groups and variables (F=4.211, p<0.01), and significant F ratio between time and groups (F=2.611, p<0.01), had been found, we continued with more focused analyses. Baseline results revealed no statistical differences between the four groups. There were statistically significant improvements in knowledge of HIV/AIDS for both the experimental group and two of the control group, but these differences were not maintained at follow up. Significant differences in attitudes towards HIV/AIDS were found for the experimental group and for one of the control groups. Though there were significant changes in both knowledge and attitudes, therefore, it cannot be claimed that the intervention itself was responsible for knowledge and attitudinal change. There was some evidence for diffusion of innovation in terms of HIV knowledge from the experimental group and the control group situated at the same school. Changes in reported HIV risk behaviour were not recorded to a significant degree, a fact which may have been attributable in part to small sample size. Qualitative process information was used to get a sense of the experiences of participants and the concomitant issues they discussed during the intervention. The qualitative data revealed a host of contextual factors relevant to issues of HIV/AIDS and sexuality in this group, including experiences of stigmatization as people with visual impairment, negotiating masculinity in the context of visual impairment, gender oppression of women and resistance to this, and a general atmosphere of myths and silences around HIV/AIDS in particular and sexuality in general. Despite the limited impact of the programme, this pilot study revealed important issues for adolescents with visual impairments regarding HIV prevention which require further investigation. Participants in the experimental group indicated that they learned a lot from this programme and suggested that it be given to younger adolescents to enable them to acquire these vital skills prior to active sexual engagement and the involvement in any form of unprotected sex. A number or recommendations are made for further well-documented and evaluated research in this field.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om ’n MIV-intervensieprogram te ontwikkel wat op Suid- Afrikaanse adolessente met gesigsgestremdhede gemik is. ’n Verdere doel was om ’n proeflopie van die pasgemaakte program te doen en dit te evalueer. Hierdie ondersoek is nodig geag in die lig van die groeiende MIV-pandemie in Suid-Afrika, wat oor die afgelope tien jaar vinnig versprei het. Adolessente en jong volwassenes tel onder die kwesbaarstes vir MIV-infeksie, en dit sluit nie adolessente met gesigsgestremdhede uit nie. Ongeag die persepsies omtrent aseksualiteit in adolessente met gesigsgestremdhede onder diegene wat nie gesigsgestremd is nie, is eersgenoemde ’n kwesbare groep vir MIV-infeksie. Die motivering vir hierdie studie is die feit dat baie min literatuur vir mense met gesigsgestremdhede beskikbaar is, en dat hierdie kwesbare groep wêreldwyd in MIV/VIGSveldtogte gemarginaliseerd is. Sover ons kon vasstel, was daar drie MIV-voorkomingsinisiatiewe vir mense met gesigsgestremdhede in Suid-Afrika, waarvan nie een ten volle nagevors en geëvalueer is nie, en wat almal bestaande generiese intervensies gebruik het wat in Braille en grootdruk-formaat omgesit is. Die werklikheid is dat baie adolessente met gesigsgestremdhede – nes die geval is met jeugdiges sonder gesigsgestremdhede – seksueel aktief is en dat die afwesigheid van navorsing oor MIV-voorkoms en MIVvoorkomingsbehoeftes in hierdie sektor opvallend is. Daar is ’n dringende behoefte aan pasgemaakte MIV-voorkomende programme vir hierdie kwesbare sektor. Die gebrek aan navorsing oor MIV/vigs en mense met gesigsgestremdhede het die keuse van ’n sleutelinformantstudie gemotiveer om die invloed wat MIV/vigs en ander gepaardgaande kwessies op mense met gesigsgestremdhede het, voor die ontwikkeling van enige intervensie te ondersoek. ’n Doelgerigte steekproef van sleutelinformante wat op ’n daaglikse grondslag onder mense met gesigsgestremdhede werk, waarvan die meeste self gesigsgestremd is, is gekies. Inligting wat van die sleutelinformantstudie verkry is, is gekombineer met die lesse uit ’n oorsig van die bestaande literatuur oor gesondheidsbevorderingsprogramme – in die besonder MIV-voorkomingsprogramme – om ’n MIV/vigs-intervensieprogram te ontwikkel wat as loodsprojek kon dien en wat vir doeltreffendheid geëvalueer kon word. Die ontwerp van die projek het, daarbenewens, ag geslaan op breër kontekstuele kwessies soos mags- en genderkwessies en die marginalisering en stigmatisering van mense met getremdhede. Die teoretiese raamwerk wat die grondslag vir die program vorm, is op elemente van ’n aantal kognitiewe teorieë op die gebied van gesondheidsbevordering, en spesifiek die inligtingmotivering- gedragsmodel geskoei. Die program is ontwerp om deelnemers te bemagtig en om ’n omgewing van lewenservaringe te skep waarbinne hulle belangrike onderhandelings-, besluitnemings- en praktiese vaardighede kon ontwikkel om kondoomgebruik te bevorder, asook kennis omtrent MIV/vigs om houdings- en gedragsverandering te fasiliteer. Die volgende doelwit van hierdie navorsing was om die intervensieprogram van agt sessies wat vir adolessente met gesigsgestremdhede ontwerp is, te implementeer en om die resultate ten opsigte van die deelnemers aan die studie te ondersoek. Met hierdie doel voor oë is ’n eksperimentele ontwerp – een eksperimentele groep en drie kontrolegroepe (n=56), wat nie ewekansig toegewys is nie – gebruik om die invloed van die program op deelnemers in die intervensiegroep te toets teenoor dié op die kontrolegroepe, wat aan ’n gesondheidsbevorderings-program van vier sessies deelgeneem het. Alle deelnemers was leerders by die enigste twee skole vir leerders met gesigsgestremdhede in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Hulle is op grond van die skoolgraad waarin hulle reeds geplaas is, aan behandelings- of kontroletoestande toegewys. Die empiriese ondersoek het ’n ontwikkelde vraelys gebruik wat sowel in Braille getranskribeer is as in grootdruk gedruk is. Ná afloop van ’n klein loodsstudie is die vraelys gefinaliseer en aan al vier groepe toegedien (voortoets, om die basisverskille vas te stel; na-toets, om die onmiddellike invloed van die program vas te stel; en opvolg [3 maande later] om doeltreffendheid op langer termyn vas te stel). ’n Ontleding is gedoen om die interne konsekwentheid van die meetkonstrukte van die vraelys te assesseer: voldoende interne konsekwentheid is gevind, met Cronbach se alfapunte wat tussen 0.72 en 0.92 gewissel het. Kwantitatiewe data is met behulp van meervariaattegnieke ontleed. Eers is ’n herhaaldemeting- MANOVA-ontleding gedoen en daarna – nadat ’n algeheel beduidende F verhouding tussen veranderlikes, tyd en groepe (F=2.009, p<0.05); ’n beduidende Fverhouding tussen groepe en veranderlikes (F=4.211, p<0.01) en ’n beduidende F-verhouding tussen tyd en groepe (F=2.611, p<0.01) gevind is – is dit deur meer gefokusde ontledings gevolg. Basislynuitslae het geen statistiese verskille tussen die vier groepe getoon nie. Daar was statisties beduidende verbeteringe in kennis oor MIV/vigs in sowel die eksperimentele groep as die twee kontrolegroepe, maar hierdie verskille is nie met die opvolgtoets volgehou nie. Beduidende verskille in houding jeens MIV/vigs is by die eksperimentele groep en een van die kontrolegroepe gevind. Hoewel daar beduidende veranderinge in sowel kennis as houdings gevind is, kan daar nie beweer word dat die intervensie self vir die kennis- en houdingsveranderinge verantwoordelik was nie. Daar was ’n mate van bewys vir diffusie van innovering wat betref kennis oor MIV van die eksperimentele groep en die kontrolegroep by dieselfde skool. Veranderinge in aangemelde MIV-risikogedrag is nie in ’n beduidende mate aangeteken nie, ’n feit wat gedeeltelik aan die beperkte grootte van die steekproef te wyte kan wees. Inligting uit ’n kwalitatiewe proses is gebruik om ’n indruk te skep van die ervaringe van deelnemers en gepaardgaande kwessies wat hulle tydens die intervensie bespreek het. Die kwalitatiewe data het ’n reeks kontekstuele faktore blootgelê wat vir kwessies van MIV/vigs en seksualiteit in hierdie groep tersaaklik is, met inbegrip van ervaringe van stigmatisering as mense met gesigsgestremdhede, die hantering van manlikheid binne die konteks van gesigsgestremdheid, genderonderdrukking van vroue en weerstand hierteen, asook ’n algemene atmosfeer van mites en stilswye oor MIV/vigs in die besonder en seksualiteit in die algemeen. Ten spyte van die beperkte impak van die program het hierdie loodsstudie belangrike kwessies vir adolessente met gesigsgestremdhede betreffende MIV-voorkoming blootgelê wat verdere ondersoek noodsaak. Deelnemers in die eksperimentele groep het aangedui dat hulle baie uit hierdie program geleer het en het voorgestel dat dit aan jonger adolessente aangebied word om hulle in staat te stel om hierdie noodsaaklike vaardighede te ontwikkel voordat aktiewe seksuele betrokkenheid en betrokkenheid by enige vorm van onbeskermde seks plaasvind. ’n Aantal aanbevelings vir verdere goed gedokumenteerde en geëvalueerde navorsing op hierdie gebied word gemaak.

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that have influenced successful participation in physical activity of school-aged children and youth who are blind or visually impaired. Data for this study were gathered through analysis of the personal narratives of four blind, physically active young adults (one active adult and three competitive athletes) as they reflected on key childhood and youth experiences that positively influenced their participation in physical activity. Using a socio-ecological framework, the study sought to map out, in detail, the individual and interconnected factors (e.g. family, teacher, peer attitudes) that influenced success within and across three different environments (family, school and community). The results found common themes across participant narratives indicating identifiable success factors related to the family and school environments. While individual themes emerged related to the community environment, they did not recur across the participant narratives. Interconnections among the three environments were similarly evident in individual participant narratives, but no recurring themes were found for this across participant narratives. Taken as a whole, the results present a holist perspective of the complex web of factors that have helped craft successful experiences and foster continued participation in physical activity for the individuals in this study.

Previous studies investigating how humans build reliable spatial knowledge representations allowing them to find their way from one point to another in complex environments have been focused on comparing the relative importance of the two-dimensional visual geometry of routes and intersections, multi-dimensional data from direct exposure with the real world, or verbal symbols and/or instructions. This thesis sheds further light on the multi-dimensional and multi-sensorial aspects by investigating how the cognitive processing of spatial information derived from different sources of sensory and higher order input influences the performance of human observers who have to find their way from memory through complex and non-familiar real-world environments. Three experiments in large-scale urban environments of the real world, and in computer generated representations of these latter (Google Street View), were run to investigate the influence of prior exposure to 2D visual or tactile maps of an itinerary, compared with a single direct experience or verbal instructions, on navigation performances in sighted and/or visually deficient individuals, and in individuals temporarily deprived of vision. Performances were analyzed in terms of time from departure to destination, number of stops, number of wrong turns, and success rates. Potential strategies employed by individuals during navigation and mental mapping abilities were screened on the basis of questionnaires and drawing tests. Subjective levels of psychological stress (experiment 2) were measured to bring to the fore possible differences between men and women in this respect. The results of these experiments show that 2D visual maps, briefly explored prior to navigation, generate better navigation performances compared with poorly scaled virtual representations of a complex real-world environment (experiment 1), the best performances being produced by a single prior exposure to the real-world itinerary. However, brief familiarization with a reliably scaled virtual representation of a non-familiar real-world environment (Google Street View) not only generates optimal navigation in computer generated testing (virtual reality), but also produces better navigation performances when tested in the real-world environment and compared with prior exposure to 2D visual maps (experiment 2). Congenitally blind observers (experiment 3) who have to find their way from memory through a complex non-familiar urban environment perform swiftly and with considerable accuracy after exposure to a 2D tactile map of their itinerary. They are also able to draw a visual image of their itinerary on the basis of the 2D tactile map exposure. Other visually deficient or sighted but blindfolded individuals seem to have greater difficulty in finding their way again than congenitally blind people, regardless of the type of prior exposure to their test itinerary. The findings of this work here are discussed in the light of current hypotheses regarding the presumed intrinsic nature of human spatial representations, replaced herein within a context of working memory models. It is suggested that multi-dimensional temporary storage systems, capable of processing a multitude of sensory input in parallel and with a much larger general capacity than previously considered in terms of working memory limits, need to be taken into account for future research.

Resumo: Este trabalho discute a utilização do Sistema Maquete Tátil/Mapavox por três grupos de alunos: cegos, de baixa visão e normovisuais, sob a perspectiva de análise não comparativa de resultados. Os objetivos do trabalho foram investigar como as pessoas deficientes visuais organizam os objetos no espaço e que estratégias usam para constituir suas representações. No embasamento teórico dialogase com autores que realizaram pesquisas sobre os desenvolvimentos motor e cognitivo de crianças cegas e suas relações com o espaço partindo do próprio cego, sem comparálo às pessoas dotadas de visão. Os resultados indicam que os sujeitos deficientes visuais organizam os objetos no espaço de forma diferente das pessoas normovisuais e que a adaptação de material didático de Cartografia para este público não consiste simplesmente em substituir cores por texturas, efetuar contornos em relevo e/ou inserir informações em braille e em escrita convencional ampliada. Indicam ainda que, as abordagens de conteúdos geográficos e cartográficos não podem ter como referencial a percepção e organização espacial de pessoas que enxergam. A análise dos resultados aponta que as formas de organização do espaço nos sujeitos deficientes visuais trazem as marcas de suas experiências. Por isso, organizam o espaço expressando rotas ou ambientes que possuem significativa vivência.
Abstract: This paper discusses the use of the Tactile Model System /Mapavox by three groups of students: the blind; the visually impaired and the students with normal vision, under the perspective of an analysis of non comparative results. The goals of the work went investigate as the blind and visually impaired organize the objects in the space and that strategies use to constitute its representations. The theoretical basis brings authors who performed researches on the motor and cognitive development of blind children as well as their relation to space without comparing it to that of people with no visual impairment. The results obtained indicate that the blind and visually impaired subjects have a different spatial organization than those with normal vision and the adaptation of Cartographic didactic materials for the visually impaired does not consist of just substituting colors for texture, or using contoured relieves and or inserting information in Braille and amplified conventional writing. Thus, the content approach of both Geography and Cartography cannot have as a referential the perception and spatial organization of individuals with normal vision. The analysis of the results aims that the forms of organization of the space subjects bring the marks of its experiences.
Orientador: Maria Isabel Castreghini de Freitas
Coorientador: José Antônio dos Santos Borges
Banca: Katia Regina Moreno Caiado
Banca: Rosângela Doin de Almeida
Mestre

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
Este trabalho discute a utilização do Sistema Maquete Tátil/Mapavox por três grupos de alunos: cegos, de baixa visão e normovisuais, sob a perspectiva de análise não comparativa de resultados. Os objetivos do trabalho foram investigar como as pessoas deficientes visuais organizam os objetos no espaço e que estratégias usam para constituir suas representações. No embasamento teórico dialogase com autores que realizaram pesquisas sobre os desenvolvimentos motor e cognitivo de crianças cegas e suas relações com o espaço partindo do próprio cego, sem comparálo às pessoas dotadas de visão. Os resultados indicam que os sujeitos deficientes visuais organizam os objetos no espaço de forma diferente das pessoas normovisuais e que a adaptação de material didático de Cartografia para este público não consiste simplesmente em substituir cores por texturas, efetuar contornos em relevo e/ou inserir informações em braille e em escrita convencional ampliada. Indicam ainda que, as abordagens de conteúdos geográficos e cartográficos não podem ter como referencial a percepção e organização espacial de pessoas que enxergam. A análise dos resultados aponta que as formas de organização do espaço nos sujeitos deficientes visuais trazem as marcas de suas experiências. Por isso, organizam o espaço expressando rotas ou ambientes que possuem significativa vivência.
This paper discusses the use of the Tactile Model System /Mapavox by three groups of students: the blind; the visually impaired and the students with normal vision, under the perspective of an analysis of non comparative results. The goals of the work went investigate as the blind and visually impaired organize the objects in the space and that strategies use to constitute its representations. The theoretical basis brings authors who performed researches on the motor and cognitive development of blind children as well as their relation to space without comparing it to that of people with no visual impairment. The results obtained indicate that the blind and visually impaired subjects have a different spatial organization than those with normal vision and the adaptation of Cartographic didactic materials for the visually impaired does not consist of just substituting colors for texture, or using contoured relieves and or inserting information in Braille and amplified conventional writing. Thus, the content approach of both Geography and Cartography cannot have as a referential the perception and spatial organization of individuals with normal vision. The analysis of the results aims that the forms of organization of the space subjects bring the marks of its experiences.

Syftet med studien att undersöka hur gitarrlärare arbetar med synskadade elever i klassisk gitarrundervisning, målet är att underlätta lärares arbete när det gäller att undervisa just synskadade elever i klassisk gitarr. Studiens forskningsfrågor är: Vad arbetar gitarrlärare med i sin undervisning med synskadade gitarrelever? På vilka sätt arbetar gitarrlärare med synskadade elever? Varför väljer lärare att arbeta som de gör? Studiens metod utgörs av intervjuer med lärare och elever samt och observationer av övningar och andra hjälpmedel lärare använder i sitt arbete med synskadade elever och hur de arbetar med dessa hjälpmedel. I bakgrundskapitlet beskrivs hur blinda och synsvaga elever i allmänhet, har en stor potential för att utbilda sig i musik och att lära sig spela gitarr. I resultatet presenteras en rad arbetssätt såsom: att tejpa baksidan av greppbrädan, att visa genom att låta eleven känna på lärarens händer, vänsterhandens orientering på greppbrädan, att stå vid ljus, att öva på att ta fram olika spännande ljud från gitarren, att begränsa stor vänsterhandsrörelse, att utgå från inspelade lektioner och Braille-partitur, att det skall vara tyst och lugn i rummet när man övar och saker att betänka när man övar. En slutsats som dras är att klassisk gitarr kan bidra till blinda barns fascination av ljud. Diskussionen utgörs av en vidare reflektion över studien, där uppsatsens resultat kopplas samman med bakgrundslitteraturen.
The purpose of the study is to investigate how guitar teacher works with visually impaired students in classical guitar teaching, the goal is to facilitate the work of teachers when it comes to teaching visually impaired students in classical guitar. The study's research questions are: What kind of work do guitar teachers do teaching classic guitar with visually impaired students? How do they work with visually impaired students? Why do they work as they do? The study's methodology consists of interviews with teachers and students and observations of guitar lessons with visually impaired students. The background chapter describes how blind and visually impaired students in general, have a great potential to educate themselves in music and learning playing the guitar. The result presents a series of techniques such as: taping the back of the fingerboard, showing how to play by letting students feel the teacher's hands, left hand orientation, positioning in light, practice on the development of exciting sounds of the guitar, limiting left hand motions, using recorded lessons and Braille scores, serenity in the room and overall things to consider when practicing. One conclusion is that the classical guitar can stimulate blind children's fascination of sound. The discussion consists of a reflection of the study, with the results linked to background literature.