Supporting Individuals with Visual Impairments 2: Walking and Navigating Support
摘要
This chapter examines walking and navigation support systems for individuals with visual impairments, emphasizing sensory substitution functionalities and emerging assistive technologies. Worldwide, approximately 2.2 billion individuals are affected by vision loss. This chapter specifically emphasizes the distinctive perceptual abilities cultivated by individuals with visual impairments, including orientation and mobility (O&M), sound localization, obstacle detection via reflected sound, rapid comprehension of speech through screen readers, and tactile information derived from braille and tactile displays. Training methods include O&M instruction, acoustic virtual reality tools, and tactile maps created with specialized displays. Current navigation aids involve smartphone screen readers, outdoor mobility apps, indoor positioning systems, and AI-based visual recognition services. Despite technological advances, challenges in device use and access to training remain. Combining traditional mobility training with modern assistive technology offers a promising approach to enhancing independence and spatial awareness, both indoors and outdoors, for individuals with visual impairments.