EXPLORATORY CHARACTERISTICS OF SENSORY COMPENSATION FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE

Abstract

The visually impaired population continues to grow at a steady rate each year. However, a review of current products developed for this population reveals significant shortcomings, including limited product variety, single-function designs, and a lack of innovation. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the sensory compensation mechanisms employed by visually impaired individuals. By systematically exploring the application of sensory compensation mechanisms in product design, this research seeks to overcome the limitations of existing assistive devices, which often only meet functional requirements and fail to align with the sensory information pathways of visually impaired users. The ultimate goal is to develop designs that optimise information transmission pathways, thereby reducing cognitive load during product use. This study employs literature review and market research methods to examine the characteristics of visually impaired individuals and the categories, cases, and shortcomings of existing assistive products for the visually impaired. It summarises the primary characteristics of visually impaired individuals and the perception methods of existing assistive products, conducts an in-depth analysis of the effectiveness and application of sensory compensation pathways, and provides insights for future empirical research and product design targeting visually impaired individuals.