Making Small Visual Displays Accessible to People with Vision Loss

Principal researcher

Project details

Start date: 01/10/2009
End date: 31/10/2012

Description: This project assesses the accessibility and usability of small visual displays (SVDs) for use by people with vision loss. SVDs can be found in products as diverse as cell phones, personal digital assistants, photocopiers, fax machines, kitchen and laundry appliances, home entertainment devices, exercise equipment, and diabetes self-management technology. Individuals with vision loss face severe limitations in using such products safely and effectively because the visual displays lack accessibility features.

The "readability" of an SVD depends on two aspects – the ability of the visually impaired person to discern details and the ability of the screen to generate them. These two aspects can be quantified. Goals of this project include: (1) a replicable, and potentially commercializable, Optics Lab for measuring SVDs; (2) a set of standards for the design of SVDs relative to human contrast sensitivity function which will be commercially valuable for product developers; and (3) a searchable, tabular analysis of the accessibility and usability of SVDs used in approximately 250 products with informative guidance for consumers to use in inquiring about accessibility of products with SVDs.

Other organisations involved in this project

Last updated: 18/08/2009