"Siri Talks at You": An Empirical Investigation of Voice-Activated Personal Assistant (VAPA) Usage by Individuals Who Are Blind

Abstract

Voice-activated personal assistants (VAPAs)--like Amazon Echo or Apple Siri--offer considerable promise to individuals who are blind due to widespread adoption of these non-visual interaction platforms. However, studies have yet to focus on the ways in which these technologies are used by individuals who are blind, along with whether barriers are encountered during the process of interaction. To address this gap, we interviewed fourteen legally-blind adults with experience of home and/or mobile-based VAPAs. While participants appreciated the access VAPAs provided to inaccessible applications and services, they faced challenges relating to the input, responses from VAPAs, and control of information presented. User behavior varied depending on the situation or context of the interaction. Implications for design are suggested to support inclusivity when interacting with VAPAs. These include accounting for privacy and situational factors in design, examining ways to support concerns over trust, and synchronizing presentation of visual and non-visual cues.