I see therefore i read: improving the reading capabilities of individuals with visual disabilities through immersive virtual reality

• Published in: Universal access in the information society Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 387 - 413
• Main Authors: Weir, Kurtis, Loizides, Fernando, Nahar, Vinita, Aggoun, Amar, Pollard, Andrew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accessibility; Computer Communication Networks; Computer Science; Computers and Society; Disabilities; Handicapped accessibility; Helmet mounted displays; Immersive virtual reality; Information Storage and Retrieval; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); IT in Business; Long Paper; New technology; Optometry; People with disabilities; Quality of life; Reading; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction; Virtual environments; Virtual reality; Reading; Text; Visual disabilities; VR; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 1615-5289; 1615-5297
• DOI: 10.1007/s10209-021-00854-8

We aim to help improve the quality of life of people with visual disabilities through the application of emerging technologies. Our current research investigates the viability of virtual reality (VR) as an aid for persons with visual disabilities. In this article, we explore the potential of VR-assisted reading. We investigate the reading effects of VR equipment on persons with visual disabilities by utilising variations of standardised optometry-informed reading tests conducted across 24 participants. Test results uncovered that, when comparing a worn VR head-mounted display (HMD) to physical unaided tests, results within a HMD scaled better at closer distances, while unaided tests scaled better with further distances. Using the findings collected and requirements elicited from participants, a prototype document reader was developed for reading text within a VR-immersed 3D environment, allowing low-vision users to customise and configure accessibility features for enhanced reading. This software was tested with 11 new participants alongside user evaluations, allowing us to discover how users perceived text best within our 3D virtual environments, and what features and techniques are required to evolve this accessibility tool further. The user test reported an overwhelmingly positive response to our tool as a feasible reading aid, allowing persons who could not engage (or, due to the difficulty, refusing to) in the reading of material to do so. We also register some limitations and areas for improvement, such as a need for non-functional requirements to be improved, and the aesthetics of our design to be improved going forward.