Accessibility and usability of self-serve kiosks for blind and partially sighted Canadians

Background

Approximately 7.4% of Canadians over the age of 15 report being blind or partially sighted; this impacts their daily functioning in public spaces [1]. Technological advances have included the proliferation of self-serve kiosk in many consumer settings. However, absent from discussions of community accessibility is the experiences of Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.

Objective

To better understand the experiences of this population with self-serve kiosks.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to analyze survey data collected as part of a survey by Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) of people who are blind, Deafblind partially sighted about their use of self-serve kiosks. 731 participants were surveyed, representing a response rate of 3.5% across Canada.

Results

64.14% of participants faced barriers in completing a task using self-serve technology. Human assistance was required to complete the tasks in most instances. 65.74% of participants reported they did not enjoy using self-serve kiosks and 60.90% of participants reported they would not continue to use self-serve kiosks in the future.

Conclusions

The findings highlight a need to promote accessibility in the creation and implementation of self-serve kiosks in order to further their use and decrease exclusion of people who are blind and partially sighted.