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Preferred retinal locus and reading rate with four dynamic text presentation formats
Alex R Bowers1, Russell L Woods, Eli Peli
1The Schepens Eye Research Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. abowers@vision.eri.harvard.edu
Summary
Patient preference, not reading speed, is key for selecting electronic reading devices for people with low vision. Preferred retinal locus location did not impact reading rates across different display formats.
Area of Science:
- Low vision rehabilitation
- Human-computer interaction
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Electronic displays offer potential for low-vision individuals.
- Optimal electronic text presentation for central field loss is unknown.
- Preferred retinal locus (PRL) location's impact on reading format is unstudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the relationship between PRL location and reading rate.
- Compare reading rates across four electronic display formats for low-vision readers.
Main Methods:
- 35 low-vision and 14 control subjects read sentences in four formats: rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), horizontal scroll, vertical scroll, and page.
- Maximum oral reading rate and preferred silent reading rate were measured.
Main Results:
- Page format was fastest for preferred silent reading in low-vision group.
- No significant difference in maximum oral reading rates across formats for low-vision group.
- Half of low-vision participants preferred horizontal scroll despite slower reading speed.
- PRL location did not significantly affect reading rate or format preference.
Conclusions:
- Patient preference is crucial in selecting electronic reading devices for low-vision rehabilitation.
- Reading speed differences between oral and silent reading highlight device evaluation needs.
- Lack of correlation between PRL and format preference underscores individual variability.