Bending Blindly: Exploring Bend Gestures for the Blind

This paper explores the novel context of using bend gestures as a primary method of interaction for the blind. Our preliminary study assesses if this more tactile experience could enhance the usability and accessibility of technology for blind users, by comparing bend and touch interactions with simulated blind participants. Both input techniques showed similar results, indicating that bend gestures have potential in this context. We identify results that can help shape future research in this accessibility area, and potentially increase the overall interaction experience for screen reader based smartphones.

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