Mind Your Step: A Diary Study of a Person with Visual Impairment Navigating a City with a Smart Cane

Abstract

Several studies have documented the navigation requirements and preferences of people with visual impairments. The primary methods used in such studies were interviews and surveys. With the same goal, this study employed a diary-based approach. A person with visual impairment recorded daily navigation experiences with a smart cane for three months. These first-person diary entries were analyzed, and the findings are reported herein. The paper sheds some light on the challenges people with visual impairments face in navigating an urban city. The study shows some limitations with smart canes for urban navigation and suggests that more consideration should be given to the visually impaired for navigating in public environments.