Universal Design for Enhancing Accessibility of the Visually Impaired in Touristic Environments

Designing for accessibility and inclusion requires careful consideration of specific requirements. In particular, Universal Design promotes inclusion by enhancing access but without hindering the user experience for others. One of the principles of Universal Design is that the information must be perceptible, i.e. all given information must be presented using different sensory perceptual strategies. Here, different interaction design strategies were tested for a system that aimed at creating meaningful experiences for the visually impaired in a recreational environment. Volunteers with visual impairment participated in the evaluation of the system and were instructed to interact with the system using a mobile phone. Experimental results revealed that a combination of audio and tactile stimuli was the best combination to increase information recall. However, careful design of the tactile interaction must be met to avoid cognitive overload that could interfere with the experience.