UCLIC Research Seminar Series

UCLIC CHI2020 Seminar Series: 22nd April - The Social Network: How People with Visual Impairment use Mobile Phones in Kibera
Giulia Barbareschi, Cathy Holloway, UCLIC
Location: TBA

Title

UCLIC CHI2020 Seminar Series: 22nd April - The Social Network: How People with Visual Impairment use Mobile Phones in Kibera

Abstract

In low and middle income countries people with visual impairment are constantly faced with challenges that can affect their abilities to access opportunities and live life to their full potential. In recent years mobile phones have become increasingly common in low resourced settings and they have shown the potential to be a huge enabler for visually impaired people. Previous research in low and middle income countries has shown that mobile phones are not always used directly by the owner, but they can be operated with the help of intermediaries that belong to the social network of the owner. Informal settlements or "slum communities" represents unique urban ecosystem with different infrastructural and cultural aspects that shape the way in which people live, access technology and cultivate their own social network. In this talk we will present results from our research in Kibera, the largest informal settlement in Africa, in which we investigated the interplay between mobile phone use and social infrastructures in the lives of people with visual impairment.

Biography

Catherine (Cathy) Holloway is an associate professor at UCLIC and a co-founder and academic director of the Global Disability Innovation Hub (www.DisabilityInnovation.com). Her research focuses on the understanding of design of accessible and assistive technology and understanding innovation processes for social development, these come together under the title Disability Interaction. She is the research and innovation lead for the £20 million AT2030 programme (https://at2030.org/) funded by the UK Department for International Development.

Giulia Barbareschi is a Research Fellow in Disability and Assistive Technology at UCLIC and GDI Hub. Her research focuses on understating how current and novel technologies are used to improve the lives of people with disabilities who live in different parts of the world. Giulia's work lies at the intersection of technology, disability and design with strong influences from disability studies and international development Giulia is also a BSA Media Fellow and a STEM ambassador and generally has too many hobbies and interests for the time she has available.