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Usage of Accessibility Options for the iPhone and iPad in a Visually Impaired Population
Joshua L Robinson1,2,3, Vanessa Braimah Avery1,2,3, Rob Chun1,2,4
1a Illinois College of Optometry , Chicago , IL , USA.
Purpose:
The iPad and iPhone have a number of low-vision accessibility features including Siri Voice Assistant, Large Text, Zoom Magnification, Invert Colors, Voice Over, and Speech Selection. We studied their usage within a low-vision population.
Methods:
Patients were recruited to participate in an IRB-approved survey regarding their usage of the iPad and/or iPhone. Participants met one of the following criteria: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/60 or worse, or significant peripheral visual field defects.
Results:
Thirty-three low-vision patients agreed to participate (mean age 54.3 years). There were 18 different diagnoses represented and the average visual acuity of respondents was 20/119 in the right eye and 20/133 in the left eye. The most commonly used vision accessibility features were Zoom Magnification and Large Text.
Conclusions:
Although many patients are using the low-vision accessibility features, few are receiving training or recommendations from their eye care specialist.
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