Research for Social Good: Games and Other Media

Games and other media, such as virtual reality (VR) can serve as a source of entertainment; however, this may not hold true for all people. Our research focuses on examining the factors that may limit or deny people from fully engaging in games and other media and how such factors can be improved to make […]

Exploring the Needs, Preferences, and Concerns of Persons with Visual Impairments Regarding Autonomous Vehicles

ABSTRACT Fully autonomous or “self-driving” vehicles are an emerging technology that may hold tremendous mobility potential for blind or visually impaired persons who are currently unable to drive a conventional motor vehicle. Despite the considerable potential of self-driving vehicle technology to address this mobility issue, however, the needs and preferences of persons with visual disabilities […]

Implementing ‘The Enclosing Dark’: A VR Auditory Adventure

ABSTRACT Video games rely heavily on visual information ,making them largely inaccessible to blind or visually impaired (BVI) individuals. To address this barrier, we explored what an accessible video game for a BVI player would look like. Through the design process of The Enclosing Dark, an immersive virtual reality (VR) auditory adventure game, we found […]

Opinions and Preferences of Blind and Low Vision Consumers Regarding Self-Driving Vehicles: Results of Focus Group Discussions

ABSTRACT Fully autonomous vehicles, commonly referred to as self-driving vehicles, are an emerging technology that may hold tremendous mobility potential for individuals who are blind or visually impaired who have been previously disadvantaged by an inability to operate conventional motor vehicles. This study explores the opinions of 38 participants who are blind and low vision, […]