Beyond Accessibility: How Intelligent Assistive Technologies Improve Activities of Daily Life for Visually Impaired People in South Africa

Abstract

Our study explores how intelligent assistive technologies (IATs) can enable visually impaired people (VIPs) to overcome barriers to inclusion in a digital society to ultimately improve their quality of life. Drawing on the Social Model of Disability (SMD), which frames disability as a consequence of social and institutional barriers rather than individual impairments, we employ semi-structured interviews and an online qualitative survey with n=61 VIPs in South Africa. Using descriptive statistics and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), we uncover nine configurations, clustered along three broader combinations of conditions, that support and hinder IAT-mediated inclusion. Most notably, we identify that autonomy of VIPs and accessibility of IATs are primary predictors of IAT’s ability to achieve social participation. Our findings contribute to Information Systems (IS) literature at the intersection of technology and social participation. We further formulate implications for research and policymakers to foster social inclusion of VIPs in the Global South.