The Usability of ICTs in People with Visual Disabilities: A Challenge in Spain
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Digital Literacy As a Necessary Process for Improving Quality of Life
1.2. Access to ICTs by Visually-Impaired People
1.3. Technical Aids and Typhlotechnology
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Scope of Study
2.2. In-Depth Interviews
2.2.1. Expert 1
2.2.2. Expert 2
2.2.3. Expert 3
2.3. Discussion Groups
2.3.1. Group 1
2.3.2. Group 2
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Typhlotechnical, Computer, and Digital Literacy
“I stopped seeing when I was 13 years old. I had to get my Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and high school with a magnifying glass that I bought—making things very big and making a lot of tapes on history, economics, etc. I didn’t know there was another way to do it. I wrote without seeing what I wrote in exams until selectivity. Then I joined ONCE, and everything changed for the better. I would have really needed the help, but I didn’t know about it”. (Student, member, FG2.3).
“In 2014, at the age of 44, I was disabled from work. Then I began to use a magnifier, the Zoom text, and a year ago I started with a screen reviewer (Jaws).” (Disabled from work, affiliated, FG2.7).
“My children helped me with the virtual meetings that I had during the pandemic, and now, for this meeting, they had everything ready for me to connect.” (Work disabled, member, FG1.4).
“The confinement forced us to get to know social media. The video calls were wonderful because we were able to celebrate birthdays and meet as a group. If it weren’t for the lockdown, I wouldn’t have learned how to use them.” (Work disabled, member FG1.5).
“During the pandemic, since we had so much time, we learned to use many mobile applications and to make videos, TikToks, edit them.” (Unemployed, unaffiliated FG1.2).
“I went to an ONCE course, but the truth is that I had to take the train by myself, and in the end, I only went for a couple of months. Then I stopped going because between the cane and the computer that I had to carry, everything was very complicated.” (Work disabled, member, FG1.4).
“I took a course at ONCE, quite superficial, and they installed the applications on my device. But the truth is that I ended up removing all of them because I didn’t know how to use them. To be able to do it, you need someone to teach you calmly. Learning to use them is not easy.” (Work-disabled, affiliated, FG1.5).
“The first thing they teach you is typing because to learn how to use a screen reviewer, you have to use keyboard commands, and you have to do this without seeing the keyboard.” (Female worker, affiliate, FG2.4).
“I would like to learn more; there are many things that can come in handy, but how do I know.” (female worker, unaffiliated, FG1.3).
“I don’t use accessibility technologies, but I’d like to know more because there may be something that could come in handy. I have assumed having to get very close to the screen and enlarge everything a lot.” (student, unaffiliated, FG 2.1).
“In my case, I only use my magnifying glass with which I can read the newspaper, and that is enough for me. I miss the mobile phones from before, now I only have Whatsapp, and I don’t use it. I prefer to call and be called. I have had 200 messages on Whatsapp, but since it is difficult for me to read them, they stay there.” (disabled from work, member, FG1.4).
3.2. The Usability of ICTs by People with Visual Disabilities
“The AAA (Royal Decree 1112/2018 (comply with the harmonized standard of the Accessibility Directive: EN 301549 v2.1.2:2018) collects criteria A and AA of WCAG 2.1) is often not present. The other day, carrying out a procedure in the public administration, I reached the digital signature after having filled everything out, and it was impossible for me to do so. I had to ask one of my children for help. After two hours of being there, he had achieved it in 30 seconds. It is impossible to use things that are not accessible.” (work disabled, member, FG2.7).
“In my bank, for example, you can’t enlarge the font, or invert the colors. I have told them, but they do nothing to change it.” (disabled from work, unaffiliated, GD2 8).
“I use screen readers, above all, to read PDF documents and electronic books on mobile phones and computers” (female worker, unaffiliated, FG1.1).
“To work, I use the computer enlarger and invert the color contrast when I can” (unaffiliated worker, FG1.4).
“In order to study, I have the Windows magnifier, and I place the larger computer monitor” (unaffiliated student FG2.1).
3.3. Importance and Opportunities of ICTs for Blind and Visually-Impaired People
“The population continues to believe that people who do not see do not communicate through social media or access the Internet, and that is not the case. Some students in their 90s, 80s and 70s know how to use technology and access, for example, Salud Informa (a Spanish public health application for managing appointments and vaccinations). Many sighted people of that age do not know, and our students do because necessity obliges. And it is even better in the case of touch technologies with mobile phones.” (typhlotechnology expert, EXP 1).
“You feel a lot of frustration when you want to do something and you can’t because you don’t know how.” (work disabled, member, FG1.5).
“There are times when you laugh that you don’t see something, but when there really is something that interests you and no matter how hard you try you can’t access it, it makes you very angry.” (disabled from work, member, FG1.4).
“As long as I have some residual vision, I’ll get by however I can, but when I lose it, I know it’s all over.” (disabled from work, unaffiliated, FG1.6).
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Identifier | Characteristics |
---|---|
FG1.1 | 36 years old, female, worker, moderate visual impairment |
FG1.2 | 34 years old, male, unemployed, moderate visual impairment |
FG1.3 | 41 years old, female, worker, moderate visual impairment |
FG1.4 | 44 years old, male, disabled from work, severely visually impaired, affiliated with ONCE |
FG1.5 | 56 years old, female, disabled from work, severely visually impaired, affiliated with ONCE |
FG1.6 | 60 years old, male, disabled from work, moderate visual impairment |
Identifier | Characteristics |
---|---|
FD2.1 | 21 years old, male, student, moderate visual impairment |
FD2.2 | 28 years old, female, student, severe visual impairment, affiliated with ONCE |
FD2.3 | 30 years old, male student, severely visually impaired, affiliated with ONCE |
FD2.4 | 35 years old, female, worker, severe visual impairment, affiliated with ONCE |
FD2.5 | 45 years old, female, worker, severe visual impairment, affiliated with ONCE |
FD2.6 | 48 years old, male, worker, severe visual impairment, affiliated with ONCE |
FD2.7 | 52 years old, male, disabled from work, severely visually impaired, affiliated with ONCE |
FD2.8 | 58 years old, woman, disabled from work, moderate visual impairment |
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Fuentes, F.; Moreno, A.; Díez, F. The Usability of ICTs in People with Visual Disabilities: A Challenge in Spain. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 10782. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710782
Fuentes F, Moreno A, Díez F. The Usability of ICTs in People with Visual Disabilities: A Challenge in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(17):10782. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710782
Chicago/Turabian StyleFuentes, Fiorella, Antonia Moreno, and Fernando Díez. 2022. "The Usability of ICTs in People with Visual Disabilities: A Challenge in Spain" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 17: 10782. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710782