Assistive technology acceptance for visually impaired individuals: a case study of students in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Assistive technology (AT) helps students who suffer from visual impairments to achieve their study goals; however, AT’s adoption in Saudi universities is not yet explored. This paper adopts and then extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to incorporate factors influencing the AT’s acceptance based on a designed survey. The survey data was analyzed using Structural Equational Modelling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The results showed that the factors influencing technology acceptance in this context differed from those previously found to influence acceptance in other contexts. The differences were further studied using post-interview, which shows that the differences are related to limited awareness of visual disability and AT and psychological sensitivity of disabled users in Saudi culture. Moreover, this study provides a list of recommendations for overcoming barriers that limit the acceptance of assistive techniques by Saudi students with visual disabilities. This work’s results provide recommendations for the Saudi government and administrators concerning access to assistive technology in universities and facilitate access to other technologies and other contexts.

A comparative study of regional variations in common visual impairments among school-age children

“…As in the present work, myopia was the most common, occurring in 53% of cases, indicating the ubiquity of this visual impairment in Saudi Arabia [38]. Among children aged nine-12 years (5,176 children in total), the prevalence of correctable visual impairment was 18.6%, of which 5.8% was myopia and 5.4% was astigmatism [38]. Among adults, there were 13.9% of cases of visual impairment, of which refractive errors were the main cause of the disease (36%) [21,22].…”

“…According to other data, among more than 1,000 adolescents aged 12-20 years examined, refractive anomalies occurred in 55.5% of cases, of which a fifth could be cured [36,37]. As in the present work, myopia was the most common, occurring in 53% of cases, indicating the ubiquity of this visual impairment in Saudi Arabia [38]. Among children aged nine-12 years (5,176 children in total), the prevalence of correctable visual impairment was 18.6%, of which 5.8% was myopia and 5.4% was astigmatism [38].…”

The Role of Technology in Employee Training and Development: A Systematic Review of Recent Advances and Future Directions

“…Critical reflection is also recommended for social workers to understand clients' capabilities and risks associated with technology use (Pascoe, 2021). Moreover, the adoption of assistive technology can be improved by considering factors influencing acceptance based on a designed survey (Shehri et al, 2022).…”

Cabaran Menggunakan Alat Bantu Teknologi dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Murid Pendidikan Khas Penglihatan

“…Menurut Al Shehri et al (2022), tingkah laku terhadap penggunaan alat bantu teknologi akan dipengaruhi oleh kekurangan komitmen daripada MPK penglihatan untuk menguasai teknologi tersebut. Pandangan yang negatif dan kekurangan sokongan kepada penggunaan alat bantu teknologi telah mempengaruhi penggunaannya bagi MPK penglihatan.…”