Designing Product Descriptions for Supporting Independent Grocery Shopping of People with Visual Impairments

It is difficult for people with visual impairments to have balanced nutrition, and one of the reasons is because it is challenging for them to shop for grocery items. In this study, we focused on designing descriptions on grocery items to people with visual impairments to help them with making purchase decisions independently. To identify types of information to be provided, we first conducted an online survey with 73 participants with visual impairments. Then we conducted an in-depth phone interview with eight participants to understand how to better design descriptions for different grocery items. Based on the findings, we provide implications for a camera-based wearable grocery shopping assistance system, which is currently in the prototype stage. This system will help taking the next step in providing effective assistance for people with visual impairments when shopping for groceries.