Bridge or barrier: technology, well-being, and blindness.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Science
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Assistive technology plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life for individuals with visual impairments.
• Understanding the specific impacts of different technologies on well-being is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of assistive technology on the well-being of legally blind adults.
• To identify correlations between specific assistive technologies and well-being indicators.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method study involving 86 legally blind adults using electronic surveys and semi-structured interviews.
• The TENS-Interface instrument measured well-being across autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
• Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations, and thematic analysis of interviews.

Main Results:

• The TENS-Interface was validated for the legally blind population.
• Autonomy showed a higher mean score than competence or relatedness.
• Braille use correlated positively with autonomy and competence; screen reader proficiency correlated with competence.
• Daily use of social media, email, instant messaging, and video calls correlated with relatedness.

Conclusions:

• Training in braille and screen reader use can enhance well-being by supporting competence and autonomy.
• Training in communication technologies can promote well-being through increased relatedness.
• Rehabilitation practices should consider technological mediation, focusing on meaning and social context alongside efficiency.