Toward a better understanding of barriers to wayfinding technology use for people with disabilities

Wayfinding is the process of navigating from one's present location to their desired location. While wayfinding technologies are increasingly used by people with disabilities, there is little understanding of the barriers specific to wayfinding technology. The objective of this study was to understand the wayfinding technology barriers experienced by Canadians with disabilities. A total of 213 participants with varying disabilities (i.e. mobility, visual, hearing, memory and learning disabilities) completed a survey of open-ended questions about their personal experiences with different types of technologies. Technologies were categorized into public (i.e. digital and tactile interfaces) and personalized (i.e. mobile/website applications, wearable devices, smart assistive devices), and qualitative content analysis was used. Main themes were identified and either common across both groups (i.e. compatibility, demands on personal resources, information provision, interactability) or specific to one technology type (i.e. stigma, specific to personalized technology). Detailed subthemes provided greater specificity on the types of barriers encountered. For example, infection risk was noted as a barrier to public technology and high costs was a barrier for personalized technology. Results support the inclusion of wayfinding technology within accessibility standards and provide insights to clinicians on how to best support people with disabilities and their use of technology.