Aesthetics and the perceived stigma of assistive technology for visual impairment.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence the perceived stigma of two assistive devices for visual impairment, namely the white cane and smart glasses.

Method: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews with eight European students were conducted to probe their experiences and knowledge related to disability, assistive technology, visual impairment, as well as handheld and wearable devices.

Results: Close relationships with disabled people seems to have a positive influence on participants perceptions about stigma, disability, and assistive technology.

Strategies for Developing Students' Empathy and Awareness for the Needs of People with Disabilities: Contributions to Design Education.

The design of products for people with disabilities requires the understanding of a wide range of factors related to users' health, functional abilities, needs, expectations and preferences. Such multifactorial perspective is often perceived as beyond the reach by the students of both graphic and product design, as it comprises knowledge from different areas such are not usually part of design curriculum as health, rehabilitation, computer science and biomedical engineering. Here, we report on strategies for developing design students' empathy and awareness for the needs and expectations of people with disabilities.