The Experience of Portuguese Visually Impaired with Interactive Television (iTV) Services: A Questionnaire Survey

The evolution of interactive television (iTV) services offers diverse functionalities and resources, revolutionizing audiovisual consumption. Despite advancements in making iTV accessible to visually impaired users in Portugal, significant room for improvement remains. Addressing this, the MEO4ALL research project introduces an iTV solution targeted to users with blindness and low vision and other users with special needs like the elderly. This solution aims to enhance the TV experience of these users through easy and assisted access to menus and functionalities. To identify users’ needs and expectations in order to shape the functional and technical requirements of the iTV solution, a questionnaire survey was carried out. This article details the questionnaire’s development process, focusing on characterizing the experience of blind and low-vision individuals with Portuguese iTV services and devices. Results suggest that enhancing accessibility in TV content and technology for visually impaired individuals is crucial to improving their television experience. A clearer awareness of features like audio description and contextual help is needed. Improving usability, especially with voice control, can also contribute to a greater experience.