Seeing Art Differently: Design Considerations to Improve Visual Art Engagement for People with Low Vision

Visual art can be an elusive experience for individuals with low vision, with many existing accessibility strategies focused primarily on non-visual aids. This study explored the potential of image enhancements via Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) to improve visual accessibility in art settings.

The researchers conducted online focus groups with 18 participants who have various visual impairments. They discussed the challenges these individuals face and the potential benefits of using Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) to improve their visual experience.

Main Findings

1. The need for Bigger, Bolder, and Brighter: Participants often struggle with seeing fine details in art due to issues with size, distance, colour, contrast, and lighting. They need to get close to the artwork to see details, but also need to step back to see the whole picture. Low contrast and poor lighting further complicate their viewing experience.
2. Clarity is provided by non-visual senses: Many participants rely on non-visual aids like audio descriptions and tactile options to understand visual art. However, these aids are not always available or easy to use. Participants also depend on friends, family, or museum staff to describe the art to them.
3. Challenges of following the rules: Rules in museums, such as prohibitions on photography and restrictions on getting close to the art, often limit the ability of people with low vision to use their preferred accessibility strategies.
4. Perceived value of the potential use of HMD technology to enhance the visual art: Participants believe that HMDs could help by magnifying images, enhancing colours and contrast, and providing audio descriptions. However, they also have concerns about the comfort and usability of these devices.

Discussion

The study contributes to the limited research on visual accessibility in museums and galleries, especially for people with visual impairments. The researchers compare their findings with existing literature and propose design considerations for future work.

1. Beyond Enlarging Art or Text Descriptions: Participants favoured enlarging art or text descriptions but faced restrictions on getting close to the artwork. Even when allowed proximity, they needed to step back for a holistic view, which introduced navigation challenges. Museums need to consider alternate accessibility strategies, as magnifiers might not help if the art is unreachable and lighting issues persist.
2. Improving Art and Visual Perception: Participants struggled with limited perception of colours and contrast, especially in older paintings. Audio aids and tactile options help clarify visual ambiguities, but headsets can isolate users from the community aspects of museum visits. Guided tours are useful but can limit independence and choice. Museums need to improve staff training on accessibility tools and consider the complexity of these tools.
3. Improving Visual Features and Accessibility with HMDs: Participants saw potential in HMDs for enhancing visual aspects of art but had concerns about drawing attention to their disability and disorientation. Features allowing users to halt or pause visual information could help address these concerns.

Conclusion

The study highlights the need for better visual accessibility in museums and galleries for people with low vision. While non-visual aids are helpful, enhancing the visual aspects of art through technology like HMDs could significantly improve their experience. Participants expressed a desire for museums to be more visually accessible, which could make their visits more enjoyable and meaningful.

Future Work/Steps

The researchers suggest several design considerations for future work:

• Magnification: Devices should allow users to magnify art without needing to get close.
• Colour and Contrast: Enhancements should improve the visibility of details and textures.
• Customisation: Users should be able to adjust the strength of enhancements to suit their individual needs.
• Automatic Detection: Technology should automatically detect art to reduce cognitive load.
• Audio Descriptions: Natural-sounding voices should be used for audio descriptions, following best practices.
• Universal Design: Accessibility tools should be available to all visitors to avoid highlighting disabilities.
• Comfort: HMDs should be physically comfortable and not cause disorientation.

The researchers plan to conduct follow-up studies in-person to further explore these ideas and test image enhancements on HMDs with people who have low vision.

Full reference:

Paul Goddard, Nervo Verdezoto, Tom H. Margrain, Yu-Kun Lai, and Parisa Eslambolchilar. 2024. Seeing Art Differently: Design Considerations to Improve Visual Art Engagement for People with Low Vision. In Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS ’24), July 1–5, 2024, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 13 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3660675
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