Travel aids for the blind ? the digital ecosystem solution

Abstract

Travel aids for the blind are portable electronic devices that are either cane fitted, hand-held or worn by the visually impaired user, to warn of obstacles ahead. These devices exhibit a number of complex userchallenges, the most significant of which are related to the interface display that conveys navigation/obstacle warning information. There is a need for a new approach to the design of computer-based assistive systems for the disabled. Many Travel Aid manufacturers have catered for particulardisabilities in relative isolation and not necessarily within the wider context of other modalities and areas of disability. The (DESAT) approach would help a fragmented cottage industry by offering a coordinated digital ecosystem from which both the ecologically embedded end user and support teams from diverse disciplines could benefit.