Conversational User Interfaces for Blind Knowledge Workers: A Case Study

TL;DR

This paper explores how conversational user interfaces can improve accessibility for blind knowledge workers, demonstrating a case study with multifunction printers to enhance independence and usability.

Contribution

It introduces a task-based conversational interface for multifunction printers tailored for visually impaired users, developed through user-centered design and evaluated via a user study.

Findings

Improved accessibility for blind users in office tasks.

Positive user feedback on conversational interface usability.

Identified challenges and future directions for accessible CUI design.

Abstract

Modern trends in interface design for office equipment using controls on touch surfaces create greater obstacles for blind and visually impaired users and contribute to an environment of dependency in work settings. We believe that \textit{conversational user interfaces} (CUIs) offer a reasonable alternative to touchscreen interactions enabling more access and most importantly greater independence for blind knowledge workers. We present a case study of our work to develop a conversational user interface for accessibility for multifunction printers. We also describe our approach to conversational interfaces in general, which emphasizes task-based collaborative interactions between people and intelligent agents, and we detail the specifics of the solution we created for multifunction printers. To guide our design, we worked with a group of blind and visually impaired individuals starting with focus group sessions to ascertain the challenges our target users face in their professional lives. We followed our technology development with a user study to assess the solution and direct our future efforts. We present our findings and conclusions from the study.