Coping tactics of blind and visually impaired users: Responding to help-seeking situations in the digital library environment

Abstract

The authors conducted the first study to investigate the types of coping tactics that blind and visually impaired (BVI) users applied when they encountered difficulties interacting with digital libraries (DLs). Coping tactics are defined as diverse action choices used by BVI users to accomplish specific goals in response to different types of help-seeking situations. Sixty-four participants were recruited throughout the United States. Multiple data collection methods were employed to collect data: pre-questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, transaction logs, and diaries. The study identified 19 types of coping tactics associated with the top five help-seeking situations. The findings were further compared with prior research to highlight the tactics previously identified from non-DL environments and unique coping tactics found only in the DL context. On the one hand, BVI participants brought their 11 types of coping tactics from non-DL environments into the DL context. Among them, Searching for keywords and Seeking human help are the coping tactics employed to address all of the top five situations in the DL environment. On the other hand, the combination of structural complexity, use of multimedia formats, and sight-centered designs found in DLs force BVI users to apply eight unique coping tactics in the DL context. The linear way of going through the DL structure led BVI users to explore DL page structure. At the same time, they had to Explore an accessible alternative to deal with inaccessible multimedia content. To support the coping tactics adopted from non-DL environments, the design suggestions focus on directly resolving situations, offering more options within DLs, and creating or enhancing features based on BVI users’ coping tactics. To support the unique coping tactics, the design implications concentrate on ways of reducing help-seeking situations.