Social Dimensions of Technology-Mediated Sight

Users of wearable vision technology, such as eSight assistive eyewear, have a distinct relationship with sight influenced by personal, social, and cultural perceptions and practices. In order to better understand the ways in which vision is socially constructed through technology-mediated sight, we conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 13 users of eSight glasses. Our interviews focused on eliciting narratives about eSight use from initial introduction of the technology to current daily practices. Emerging findings describe ways in which technology-mediated vision is experienced in relation to (1) adaptive practices, (2) social participation, (3) experiences of space, and (4) opportunities for choice and self-determination.