This document summarizes a workshop for designing technology with visually impaired young people. The workshop was hosted by Cam Sight and Microsoft Research and aimed to empower and engage the young participants. Based on feedback, the children enjoyed making things and learning, while parents appreciated the opportunity and thanked the organizers for an interesting and engaging experience. The workshop demonstrated an effective approach to inclusive design and obtaining feedback from users.

1. Designing with visually
impaired people
Nikiforos
Karamanis
technorasisblog@gmail.com
@technorasis
technorasis.wordpress.com

2. Outline
• Insights
from
interac:ons
non-­‐sighted
people
• Am
I
disabled?
• Design
with
visually
impaired
people:
• Using
all
senses
• Cam
Sight
and
MicrosoG
Research
Bootcamp

3. How do people react to visual impairment?
rnib.org.uk
camsight.org.uk

4. Would you buy it?

5. “Many
par:cipants
expressed
the
importance
of
being
seen
with
mainstream
devices
in
order
to
demonstrate
how
they
were
capable
of
doing
just
as
much
as
anyone
else.”
Shinohara,
Kristen
and
Jacob
O.
Wobbrock
(2011).
"In
the
shadow
of
mispercep:on:
assis:ve
technology
use
and
social
interac:ons."
Proceedings
of
the
SIGCHI
Conference
on
Human
Factors
in
Compu9ng
Systems
(CHI
2011),
705-­‐714.

6. How many people am I designing for?

7. How many people am I designing for?
h[p://theinterpretersfriend.org

8. Outline
• Insights
from
observa:ons
• Am
I
disabled?
• Design
with
visually
impaired
people:
• Using
all
senses
• Cam
Sight
and
MicrosoG
Research
Bootcamp

9. What am I doing?

10. What am I doing?

11. Am I disabled?
Disability
does
not
lie
in
the
person
but
in
the
environment.

12. Outline
• Insights
from
observa:ons
• Am
I
disabled?
• Design
with
visually
impaired
people:
• Using
all
senses
• Cam
Sight
and
MicrosoG
Research
Bootcamp

13. The Cambridge Dons

14. Why a website?
• Host
less
transient
content
• Organise
the
content
be[er
• Be
in
control
of
structure
• Increase
visibility
of
club
and
sport
• Help
with
funding

16. Accessibility as core value
“
A
web
for
everyone
will
become
a
reality
when
accessibility
is
a
core
value
and
is
considered
just
part
of
making
things.”

17. Adjustments?

18. Cam Sight and MicrosoD Research Bootcamp
A
design
workshop
for
young
visually
impaired
people:
• Empower
• Fun

21. camsight.org.uk

23. It’s
great
to
see
BC
taking
shape.
I
look
fwd
to
our
next
mee9ng
on
Jul
4.
CM
will
join
us
too.
It’s
great
to
see
the
Bootcamp
taking
shape.
I
look
forward
to
our
next
mee9ng
on
July
4th.
Cecily
will
join
us
too.

24. Feel a computer

25. Beyond the screen

28. hello...
I
just
plain
cannot
read
the
book
due
to
the
color
of
the
text.
I
must
use
a
magnifying
glass
which
is
quite
cumbersome.
Has
anyone
found
a
free
downlaod
(since
I've
already
paid
for
the
book
within
the
kit).
Old
people
need
love
(and
darker
text)
too!
:-­‐)
Thanks!

35. “Most
human
error
is
caused
by
poor
design.”

37. Out of box accessibility
• How
easy
is
it
to
address
each
of
these
issues?
• Would
this
benefit
visually
impaired
people
only?

38. Misled by my eyes

40. Am I disabled?

41. Designing with young people

52. Empower

53. Fun

54. Feedback from children
“I
enjoyed
making
things!”
“When
will
the
next
workshop
be?”
“Can
I
work
for
MicrosoG?”

55. Feedback from parents
“Just
wanted
to
thank
you
and
your
team
for
such
a
lovely
day
at
MicrosoG.
My
son
really
enjoyed
himself
so
much,
that
evening
he
was
telling
me
of
all
the
ac:vi:es
he
did
with
so
much
excitement
in
him.
I
think
Cam
Sight
is
a
great
thing
and
I
am
so
so
pleased
that
you
all
do
so
much
to
involve
and
make
everyone
feel
so
welcome.
I
wish
there
was
more
groups
out
there
like
Cam
Sight.”

56. Feedback from parents
“Just
wanted
to
say
thank
you
from
all
of
us
for
a
really
interes:ng
day.
My
daughter
carried
on
refining
her
design
all
the
way
home
and
when
we
got
here
too.
Her
brother
and
their
friend
just
kept
saying
they'd
had
a
great
day,
which
really
means
they
had
a
fantas:c
day
in
teenage
boy
speak!
It's
lovely
for
me
to
chat
to
Kim
and
Dee
about
all-­‐things
VI.
Kim
is
a
real
source
of
info!
Please
would
you
pass
on
our
thanks
to
the
MicrosoG
team
too.”

57. Many thanks to
MicrosoG
Research
Cambridge:
• Dr
Cecily
Morrison,
Human-­‐Computer
Interac:on
Researcher
Cam
Sight:
• Paula
Bird,
Cam
Sight
Senior
Rehabilita:on
Specialist
• Jerry
Gilbert,
Cam
Sight
Technology
Manager
• Warren
Wilson,
Cam
Sight
Fundraising
Ambassador
Everyone
else
who
contributed
to
my
endeavours!

58. Ques:ons?