Context matters: Investigating information sharing in mixed-visual ability social interactions

Abstract

Social inclusion of disabled people has been a topic of interest in HCI research led by the rise of ubiquitous and camera-based technologies. As the research area is increasing, a comprehensive understanding of blind, partially sighted (BPS), and sighted people's needs in various social settings is needed to fully inform the design of social technologies. To address this, we conducted semistructured individual and group interviews with 12 BPS and eight sighted participants. Our findings show that context-dependent information-sharing needs of BPS and sighted people vary across social contexts (illustrated in Figure 1). While currently depending on support from sighted companions, BPS participants expressed a strong sense of independence and agency. We discuss the tensions between BPS people's information needs, sighted people's privacy concerns, and implications for the design of social technologies to support the social inclusion of BPS people.