Michele McDonnall, Ph.D., CRC
In 2020, the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision began the Access Technology in the Workplace Study, a longitudinal survey research project. The first survey of the study was conducted in 2021, and additional surveys were conducted in 2022, 2023, and 2024, with the same group of blind or low vision participants. We have shared study results in several AccessWorld articles, beginning in 2022. One goal of the study was to evaluate changes in assistive technology (AT) used at work over the course of the study, and this article presents what we’ve learned.
In each survey, we asked participants to select from a list of 28 to 31 AT which ones they used at work. To address the question of how AT use at work changed over time, we restricted our sample to individuals who completed all four surveys (170 people) or those who completed Surveys 2–4 (203 people) for three AT that were added to the AT list in 2022. Most participants (approximately 80%) in both groups were either totally blind or legally blind with minimal functional vision. Almost all were currently employed at the time of the survey, although a few were not employed but had been employed during the year the survey occurred.
We found that the use of most workplace AT did not change much between 2021 (or 2022) and 2024. The following table presents eight AT that showed an increase or decrease in use during that time period. The use of other AT changed slightly from year to year but did not show a pattern of increasing or decreasing use.
Change in AT Use at Work Over Time
| Assistive Technology | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCR+ app | 55.9 | 60.6 | 58.8 | 60.0 |
| Remote sighted assistance app | 41.8 | 48.8 | 41.2 | 51.2 |
| OCR software/hardware | 38.2 | 38.2 | 32.4 | 31.8 |
| Braille notetaking device | 26.5 | 25.3 | 21.8 | 22.4 |
| Wearable device | 4.7 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 10.6 |
| Built-in screen reader | NA | 33.0 | 36.0 | 41.4 |
| Dictation/voice control (phone/tablet) | NA | 19.2 | 25.6 | 29.1 |
| Built-in screen magnification | NA | 9.9 | 9.9 | 12.3 |
Note: Percentages reflect responses from participants who had data at all four time points (n = 170) or all three time points (n = 203).
Change Between 2021 and 2024
The use of remote sighted assistance apps (such as Aira and Be My Eyes) increased by almost 10 percentage points from 2021 to 2024, representing almost a 23% rise, although usage fluctuated over time. The use of OCR+ apps (such as Seeing AI), which was high in 2021, increased slightly (4.1 percentage points, a 7% increase). In contrast, the use of OCR software/hardware decreased slightly over time (6.5 percentage points, a 17% decrease).
The use of braille notetaking devices also decreased slightly over time (4.1 percentage points, a 16% decrease). Although wearable devices were used at work by only a small number of participants, their use more than doubled during the time frame (5.9 percentage points, a 125% increase).
Change Between 2022 and 2024
In the 2021 survey, “built-in accessibility features on a computer” was the AT list item that represented both screen readers and magnification. In the 2022 survey, we created two separate items for them and added another AT. Use of all three ATs added in the second survey increased between 2022 and 2024:
- Built-in screen reader (8.4 percentage points, a 25% increase)
- Built-in screen magnification (2.4 percentage points, almost a 25% increase)
- Dictation/voice control on phone or tablet (9.9 percentage points, a 51% increase)
Takeaways
This study investigated changes in AT use at work over relatively short periods—approximately 3.5 years (2021–2024) and 2.5 years (2022–2024)—but during a time of rapid technological advancement. Given the pace of technological innovations, it may be surprising that only a few AT showed a substantial increase in use. While only a few technologies displayed meaningful change, several others—such as third-party screen readers and smartphones—were consistently used throughout the study period. Several common workplace AT incorporated significant advancements during this time, such as the expansion or addition of artificial intelligence features.
Although it was the AT used by the smallest percentage of people, wearable device use more than doubled during the study. This increase was primarily due to the adoption of Meta glasses in 2024. Given the continued popularity of the Meta glasses and the additional smart glasses models that have become available, it is likely that wearable device use has continued to increase over the past year.
The findings also highlight the widespread and increasing use of smartphone apps at work, as well as the potential for apps to replace computer software (for example, OCR technology). AT built into operating systems and smartphones also increased in popularity during the shorter 2.5-year period. This may be related to the continual improvements in the built-in accessibility software options now available.
Our overall study findings indicate that the importance of traditional AT in the workplace has generally not been altered by rapid technological advancements, and technological advancements have been incorporated into many of these devices. However, the ways in which these technologies are accessed—such as through an app or within mainstream technology—have changed and may continue to evolve in the future.
