| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 特殊教育學系輔助科技碩士班 === 102 === This research aims to explore individuals with visual impairments and difficulties in home life, effects of using assistive technology, and their individual needs toward assistive technology. Interview methods , observation and reflection journals in qualitative research were utilized. Participants were five individuals adult with visual impairments. Result findings were listed in the following:
1. Difficulties in home life
Home life is divided into three parts for discussion: food, clothes and living. individuals with visual impairments widely used touching, hearing, olfactory and tasting sensory organs as given assistance to home life activities, and they also used assistive technology devices to overcome home life activities what can't be done independently. Yet there are still some part of home life activities that can't be completed by themselves, especially operating electric appliance and cleaning environment. For those activities, they need family members to help.
2.Use of assistive technology and affects
(1) Using assistive technology devices at home
Individuals with visual impairments using voice devices, braille devices and self-create devices in home life, voice devices include: healthcare monitoring devices, communications device and screen readersoftware, time devices, audiobook play, and voice calculation; braille devices include: braille boar/pen and braille watch, self-create devices include self-create braille devices, food devices, identification devices, environment clean devices and other devices. Although these devices can help individuals with visual impairments in home life, but there are still some difficulties in use, especially voice devices and braille devices.
(2) Assistive technology service at home
The sources of assistive technology service about information, purchase , and teaching come from families, close friends and professional, and repair service providers. The lack of visual impairment assistive technology devices, poor repair quality , and the procedures of subsidy application are limited. These are situations of assistive technology service in home life .
(3) Effects of assistive technology use
Assistive technology’s effects on individuals with visual impairments are apparent. It helps individuals with visual impairments complete home life activities independently and reduce their limitations caused by blindness; it also changed friends' perspectives toward individuals with visual impairments. But voice devices bring interference to family and friends of sight.
3. Assistive technology needs
Designs of home electric appliance should consider individuals with visual impairments more, and its development should combine the concept of universal design; the function, quality, and modeling of visual impairment assistive technology devices must be improved. In addition, research and products should create new devices. Assistive technology service needs are providing information, operating Instructions, repairing service and subsidy of device.
Based on research findings, some suggestions are made for government, assistive technology company, electric appliance companies, family of sight for their references.
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