Objectives:The presented work arises in the context of designing for individuals
with visual impairment, specifically we refer to a target group of children from two to
seven years of age. The study was conducted with the contribution of the XXX research
group within the XXX project funded by the European Community (2020-2023), with the aim
of creating a specific curriculum for training the profession of a visual rehabilitator
for children. In this perspective, the paper shows a practical case study carried out
through the simulation technique at XXX.The approach that would be applied to this
course is innovative, as it involves the immersive and experiential participation of
students and the adoption of the most advanced training technologies in the field of
simulation.In order to proceed with the implementation of the experiment, the
contribution of multiple figures, such as expert designers, doctors, ophthalmologists,
psychologists, and visual rehabilitators, was planned, creating a multidisciplinary and
interdisciplinary study. The ultimate goal is to provide students with standardized
criteria for assessing and intervening appropriately within the living spaces of the
child with visual impairment.Methods:The preliminary phase involved the simulation of a
typical home environment for the considered target, specifically the set-up of a
children's bedroom. The set-up of XXX is based on a movie set. Equipped with the most
advanced technologies, it allows for the recording and creation of digital content
(real-time recordings) and the configuration of environments, such as the arrangement
and number of furnishings and the variation of ambient brightness, which are fundamental
elements to ensure the autonomy of actions such as eating, playing, washing and
orienting oneself, planned in each educational module.Specifically, the bedroom was set
up with basic and standard elements, trying to recreate a real context in the most
realistic way. The furniture included a bed, a bedside table, a small table for playing,
a small chair, a bookshelf, a desk, various soft toys and games, two closets with
sliding doors, and a desk chair.The entrance door and a window were also simulated in
the room.The placement of the various elements within the room was designed based on the
needs of visually impaired and blind children and the experimentation was divided into
two moments characterized by two different setups. The first set-up involved a glaring
light setting and the selection of objects that were difficult to distinguish, then the
environment was modified through the use of contrasting elements, visual markers, and
appropriate lighting through dimmable lights.Results:The experiment, which took place as
part of the activities of TWP4 - Task 4.2 Lesson Plan Development: guides and plans for
teachers supporting the localization of the curriculum, was carried out by a series of
students from various European countries who participated in both paths (first the one
with the impediments and then the simplified one) wearing specific glasses capable of
simulating visual impairment.During the experimentation, we asked the students to
complete some tasks, such as writing their names on a sheet of paper, turning off the
light, searching for some object and taking it to other places in the room.At the end of
each path, and then once the tasks had been completed, the participants had to fill in
an accessibility evaluation form through which define the level of difficulty of the
tasks and give suggestions for improving the existing set-up in terms of placement or
choice of furniture, materials, lighting, color contrasts, pathways, and
tactility.Through this experimentation, the data collected enabled the research team to
understand possible modifications to be made to the environment and to identify elements
that could make the experiment reproducible in various domestic settings, in order to
define a protocol for adapting the spaces to the needs of the target audience.
