The ROAM Project Part 1: Exploring new frontiers in video conferencing to expand the delivery of remote O&amp;M services in regional Western Australia

Barrett-Lennard, Amy

doi:10.21307/ijom-2017-070

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…There are approximately 250 O&M specialists and guide dog mobility instructors in Australia and New Zealand, mostly itinerant, serving urban, rural and remote clients [15]. Dynamic videolink technologies like WhatsApp, FaceTime and the ROAM system are already used by some professionals to bridge huge distances and trouble-shoot travel challenges with clients in between visits [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of technology by orientation and mobility professionals in Australia and Malaysia before COVID-19

Deverell

Bhowmik

Mahmud

et al. 2020

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

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Purpose: Orientation and Mobility (O&M) professionals teach people with low vision or blindness to use specialist assistive technologies to support confident travel, but many O&M clients now prefer a smartphone. This study aimed to investigate what technology O&M professionals in Australia and Malaysia have, use, like, and want to support their client work, to inform the development of O&M technologies and build capacity in the international O&M profession. Materials and Methods: A technology survey was completed by professionals (n ¼ 36) attending O&M workshops in Malaysia. A revised survey was completed online by O&M specialists (n ¼ 31) primarily in Australia. Qualitative data about technology use came from conferences, workshops and interviews with O&M professionals. Descriptive statistics were analysed together with free-text data. Results: Limited awareness of apps used by clients, unaffordability of devices, and inadequate technology training discouraged many O&M professionals from employing existing technologies in client programmes or for broader professional purposes. Professionals needed to learn smartphone accessibility features and travel-related apps, and ways to use technology during O&M client programmes, initial professional training, ongoing professional development and research. Conclusions: Smartphones are now integral to travel with low vision or blindness and early-adopter O&M clients are the travel tech-experts. O&M professionals need better initial training and then regular upskilling in mainstream O&M technologies to expand clients' travel choices. COVID-19 has created an imperative for technology laggards to upskill for O&M tele-practice. O&M technology could support comprehensive O&M specialist training and practice in Malaysia, to better serve O&M clients with complex needs. ä IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONMost orientation and mobility (O&M) clients are travelling with a smartphone, so O&M specialists need to be abreast of mainstream technologies, accessibility features and apps used by clients for orientation, mobility, visual efficiency and social engagement. O&M specialists who are technology laggards need human-guided support to develop confidence in using travel technologies, and O&M clients are the experts. COVID-19 has created an imperative to learn skills for O&M tele-practice. Affordability is a significant barrier to O&M professionals and clients accessing specialist travel technologies in Malaysia, and to O&M professionals upgrading technology in Australia.Comprehensive training for O&M specialists is needed in Malaysia to meet the travel needs of clients with low vision or blindness who also have physical, cognitive, sensory or mental health complications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of technology by orientation and mobility professionals in Australia and Malaysia before COVID-19

Deverell

Bhowmik

Mahmud

et al. 2020

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Many studies have looked at the potential of providing remote sighted guidance to people with visual impairments. The context for guidance varies from having access to visual surroundings (e.g., objects [9] and people [7]) and supporting indoor navigation [11,24,39], to remote mobility training [8,13]. For this remote guidance from sighted crowd, people with visual impairments often share their camera view either on their smartphone or smart glasses and post associated questions.…”

Section: People With Visual Impairments Remote Guidance and Asssistiv...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, our community has provided suggestions on remote guidelines that sighted people should follow to help people with visual impairments in indoor navigation [24] and remote mobility training [8,13] when communicating via video calls. This access paradigm has long moved from research labs to real-world applications, such as BeMyEyes [17], TapTapSee [2], and Aira [3].…”

Section: People With Visual Impairments Remote Guidance and Asssistiv...mentioning

confidence: 99%

From the Lab to People's Home: Lessons from Accessing Blind Participants' Interactions via Smart Glasses in Remote Studies

Lee,

Hong,

Jarjue

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Researchers have adopted remote methods, such as online surveys and video conferencing, to overcome challenges in conducting inperson usability testing, such as participation, user representation, and safety. However, remote user evaluation on hardware testbeds is limited, especially for blind participants, as such methods restrict access to observations of user interactions. We employ smart glasses in usability testing with blind people and share our lessons from a case study conducted in blind participants' homes (𝑁 =12), where the experimenter can access participants' activities via dual video conferencing: a third-person view via a laptop camera and a first-person view via smart glasses worn by the participant. We show that smart glasses hold potential for observing participants' interactions with smartphone testbeds remotely; on average 58.7% of the interactions were fully captured via the first-person view compared to 3.7% via the third-person. However, this gain is not uniform across participants as it is susceptible to head movements orienting the ear towards a sound source, which highlights the need for a more inclusive camera form factor. We also share our lessons learned when it comes to dealing with lack of screen reader support in smart glasses, a rapidly draining battery, and Internet connectivity in remote studies with blind participants. CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → Accessibility design and evaluation methods.

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“…Prior to the pandemic, Barrett-Lennard (2016) and Battistin et al (2005) reported benefits of using DL to meet the needs of learners who live in rural and remote communities. Both research teams emphasized that the specific needs of students with disabilities must be addressed through tailoring the use of technology to meet the specific needs of any given student.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions on the use of distance learning by families of children with visual impairment and deafblindness

Parker

Inman

Yeung

et al. 2023

British Journal of Visual Impairment

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The purpose of our qualitative study was to explore what distance-based teaching and learning practices have been supportive to students with visual impairments and their families. Using purposive sampling, interviews, and qualitative analysis, we found that supportive approaches for distance learning (DL) included parental involvement and participation, as well as tailored instructional approaches and accommodations for the student. In some instances, DL was identified as being more supportive for immune-compromised children. Negative facets of the practice included diminished richness in socializing, and the lack of certain strengths of in-person education. Families’ experiences ranged from finding DL helpful, to considering the practice as unfit for their child’s education, as well as a poor fit for family life. Flags for future research include family preparation for future DL needs, including culturally-diverse families in research opportunities, and evaluating what DL supports lead to improved outcomes for children and families.

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The ROAM Project Part 1: Exploring new frontiers in video conferencing to expand the delivery of remote O&M services in regional Western Australia

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

Use of technology by orientation and mobility professionals in Australia and Malaysia before COVID-19

Use of technology by orientation and mobility professionals in Australia and Malaysia before COVID-19

From the Lab to People's Home: Lessons from Accessing Blind Participants' Interactions via Smart Glasses in Remote Studies

Perceptions on the use of distance learning by families of children with visual impairment and deafblindness

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