Abstract

BORGES, Wanessa Ferreira  and  MENDES, Eniceia Gonçalves. Accessibility Resources and the Use of Mobile Devices as Assistive Technology by People with Low Vision. Rev. bras. educ. espec. [online]. 2021, vol.27, e0036.  Epub June 15, 2021. ISSN 1980-5470.  https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54702021v27e0036.

The difficulties in implementing and appropriating Assistive Technology (AT) features derive from their high cost, social discomfort in using them, loss of devices and lack of functionality in the long term. Parallel to this context, different possibilities in AT have become popular among people with visual impairment, which have been described, timidly, in research that address the use of AT by people with low vision. Due to the lack of knowledge on the subject and the need to describe the functional profile and use of these possibilities, this article aims to characterize, from the users’ point of view, the functioning and use of accessibility features of smartphones and/or tablets in the daily lives of people with low vision. The methodology adopted in this investigation is descriptive in nature, under the outline of a case study. Twenty-eight people with low vision participated in the study, members of an existing group in the WhatsApp application. Data collection took place in the virtual space of this application, individually, through semi-structured interviews and data analysis based on the grounded theory. The results indicate that the use of accessibility features is the main differential of smartphones and tablets, as they are responsible for independent access to these devices. They used in a combined manner, and the different arrangements guarantee variability of AT options proportional to the diversity of needs of the public with low vision.

Keywords : Special education; Accessibility features; Low vision; Assistive Technology; Mobile electronic devices.

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