The challenges in adopting assistive technologies in the workplace for people with visual impairments

Abstract

There are many barriers to employment for people with visual impairments. Assistive technologies (ATs), such as computer screen readers and enlarging software, are commonly used to help overcome employment barriers and enable people with visual impairments to contribute to, and participate in, the workforce. However, recent research suggests it can be difficult for people with visual impairments to effectively adopt and implement ATs in the workplace. This paper reports insights from interviews with five professional workers with visual impairments. The interviews revealed that each participant had adopted different configurations of ATs, which they used in various ways to support their work. In addition, all participants followed a complex process to successfully select, learn, and integrate these tools into their work activities. During this process, they faced challenges, such as the need to educate colleagues to make shared documents more accessible. We conclude that despite progress in the development and use of ATs, there remains a need for future work that addresses these accessibility issues to support collaborative work between people with visual impairments and their sighted colleagues.