Preliminary Investigation of the Limitations Fashion Presents to Those with Vision Impairments

Abstract

Though aesthetics may be perceived through all five senses, fashion is almost exclusively perceived visually. This dominance begs the question of how beauty in fashion is interpreted by those with vision impairments. We investigate this question through interviews and a diary study with legally blind individuals to gather their point of view on beauty in clothing and their fashion experiences. Our participants were primarily concerned about the accessibility challenges they face surrounding the visual nature of fashion and current lack of resources that can assist them. Based on these initial findings, we conducted a follow-up survey to identify areas where technology may be universally beneficial for assisting with these challenges and clothing decisions. Our research provides insight into the major aspects of clothing's appeal for blind wearers, the challenges with lack of access, and the potential to create new assistive technology for this population.

KEYWORDS:

• blind
• vision impairments
• assistive technology
• wearable technology
• social networking