The accessibility of digital technologies for people with visual impairment and blindness: a scoping review

Abstract

This scoping review aimed to improve the understanding of important factors in digital accessibility for people with visual impairment and blindness, focusing on the first-hand experiences and challenges faced by this target group while using digital technologies. Keywords related to ‘digital technologies,’ ‘accessibility,’ ‘visual impairment,’ and ‘blindness’ were used in searching two databases (n = 683), with additional articles identified by means of manual searches (n = 60). Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts to select 97 articles for full-text screening, of which 49 articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for review based on the WCAG guidelines, highlighting details for consideration and improvement of the guidelines. The analysis revealed that users suffered from inaccessibility in several ways. For example, many applications or websites are developed for sighted users, where information is communicated through visual content without providing alternatives for assistive technology users. In addition, the lack of keyboard accessibility, shortcuts, or compatibility with different assistive technologies remains a consistent challenge. Furthermore, it was highlighted that simple accessibility measures are not followed adequately or consistently, such as providing alternative text for images or labels for links and buttons. This review highlighted the challenges and consequences of the inaccessibility of digital technologies, providing a detailed explanation regarding the elements that should be considered in the development of digital technologies. It is recommended that people with disabilities should be involved in the design of technology and its accessibility assessment.