DINING IN DARKNESS
On interacting with a panel of people who are blind, there were two themes that the participants are struggling towards : Independence and Inclusiveness. The project focused on understanding accessible dining experiences.
PROCESS
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Dined out with participants at a restaurant of their choice.
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Recorded a verbal consent and observed the participants - starting from navigating to the restaurant to checking out followed by an in-depth interview.
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Transcribed the recordings and created journey maps for each participant.
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Drafted a research paper with concluding statements for further research possibilities in this particular area of study.
FINDINGS
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The major findings were categorized into four themes:
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Location and restaurant hours
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Menu and food
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Interior layout and placement of objects
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Payment options
From the findings, the following design implications were made:
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All restaurants should provide a current online menu and hours of operation.
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Online menus should be written in plain text with little imagery for screen readers to easily read.
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Each dish should have a full description, including all ingredients and how the dish is prepared.
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Restaurant employees should be trained on how to thoughtfully interact with customers who are blind.
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An electronic bill should be available for customers to read the bill, enter tip amount, and electronically sign.