Blind people get critical information from their mobile phones while traveling. Accessing their phones while on the go, however, can be a cumbersome process as they have to listen to their environment, while holding a cane or a dog harness. We explore the design space and feasibility of using wearable mobile device controllers to make it easier and faster for blind people to access their phones on the go by considering various form factors and on-body placements. We conducted a study with eight blind participants, where the researchers and participants interacted with design probes to design mobile device controllers that operate the screen reader on a smartphone for the following on-body placements: hip, head, hand, and wrist. Most participants preferred wrist- and hand-mounted systems as they were considered to allow for more natural and discreet interfaces. Based on our findings, we designed a smart ring controller, which allows for a small and compact form factor, and only requires one-handed interactions.

Three-dimensional models are important learning resources for blind people. With advances in 3D printing, 3D models are becoming more available. However, unlike visual or tactile graphics, there is no standard accessible way to label components in 3D models. We present a labeling toolkit that enables users to add and access audio labels to 3D printed models. The toolkit includes Tickers, small 3D printed percussion instruments added to 3D models, and Talker, a signal processing application that detects and classifies Ticker sounds. To use the toolkit, a model designer adds Tickers to a model using 3D modeling software. A user then prints the model with Tickers and records audio labels for each Ticker. Finally, users can strum the Tickers and Talker will play the corresponding labels. We evaluated Tickers and Talker with three models in a study with nine blind participants. Our toolkit achieved an accuracy of 93% across all participants and models. We discuss design implications and future work for accessible 3D printed models.

Building service robots - robots that perform various services in buildings - are becoming more common in large buildings such as hotels and stores. We aim to leverage such robots to serve as guides for blind people. In this paper, we sought to design specifications that detail how a building service robot could interact with and guide a blind person through a building in an effective and socially acceptable way. We conducted participatory design sessions with three designers and five non-designers. Two of the designers and all of the non-designers had a vision disability. Primary features of the design include allowing the user to (1) summon the robot after entering the building, (2) choose from three modes of assistance (Sighted Guide, Escort, and Information Kiosk), and (3) receive information about the building's layout from the robot. We conclude with a discussion of themes and a reflection about our design process that can benefit robot design for blind people in general.