Design and evaluation of a kitchen for persons with visual impairments

Abstract

Visually impaired people need skills on daily living, such as cooking, and Ratchasuda College offers independent living training for them. In order to fulfill their needs, a suitable kitchen should be designed with the consideration of their limitations. The objective of this study was to design and evaluate a kitchen for persons with visual impairments. Before designing the kitchen, interviews and an observation were carried out to obtain information on the needs of blind and low vision persons. Consequently, a kitchen model was developed, and it was evaluated by 10 persons with visual impairments. After the design improvement, the kitchen was built and has been routinely used for training persons with visual impairments to prepare meals. Finally, a post-occupancy evaluation of the kitchen was conducted by observing and interviewing both trainers and those with visual impairments during the food preparation training. The results of the study indicated that kitchens for persons with visual impairments should have safety and usability features. The results of the post-occupancy evaluation showed that those who attended cooking courses were able to cook safely in the kitchen. However, the kitchen still had limitations in some features.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Persons with visual impairments participate in every step of the design process to ensure that the kitchen fulfills their needs.

• The kitchen was built with safety and usability features and can be routinely used for training persons with visual impairments to prepare meals.

• Persons with visual impairments can cook for themselves and their families so that they are able to live independently without becoming a burden and to live with dignity.

Keywords::

• Blind persons
• cooking
• food preparation
• low vision
• post-occupancy evaluation

Acknowledgments

This research is a collaborative project between Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University and the Faculty of Architecture, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. We wish to thank trainees, graduate students, and staff from Ratchasuda College for their participation in this study.

Declaration of Interest: This study was funded by Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University.