Bandukda, Maryam;
Xiao, lan;
Barbareschi, Giulia;
Oyier, Philip;
Athiany, Henry;
Karuguti, Wallace M;
Matheri MJM, Mwangi J;
... Holloway, Catherine; + view all
(2025)
Toward a Multi-layer Framework to Assess the Quality of Life Impact of
Smartphones as Assistive Technology for People with Sensory Disabilities in
Kenya.
In:
Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility.
(pp. pp. 1-24).
ACM (Association for Computing Machinery): New York, NY, USA.
(In press).
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Abstract
Recent advances in smartphone technology have elevated their potential as digital assistive technologies (AT) for blind or partially sighted (BPS) and deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) individuals. However, there is a gap in fully understanding the use of smartphones as AT and their impact on the quality of life (QoL) of BPS and DHH individuals. To address this gap, we conducted a mixedmethods longitudinal study over six-months with 193 participants in Kenya. The study involved a baseline survey, smartphone digital skills training, and follow-up survey and interviews to examine the impact of the smartphones as AT. The findings emphasise the significant impact of smartphones on their QoL, including impact on their identity and wellbeing, social inclusion and leisure, access to information and education, and material wellbeing. Building on the findings, we contribute an AT Impact Framework, which highlights the behaviours enabled by smartphones and their impact on the individual and their wider ecosystem. We discuss the applications of AT Impact Framework to assess the impact on QoL outcomes of AT interventions and offer recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and designers.
| Type: | Proceedings paper |
|---|---|
| Title: | Toward a Multi-layer Framework to Assess the Quality of Life Impact of Smartphones as Assistive Technology for People with Sensory Disabilities in Kenya |
| Event: | 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility |
| Dates: | 26 Oct 2025 - 29 Jun 2025 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | https://assets25.sigaccess.org/ |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Computer Science |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10210054 |
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