A proposal for a novel e-learning system for the visually impaired

Abstract

According to World Health Organization (WHO) 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. It is a well-known fact that for the visually impaired it is not possible to access the information via drawings and figures as there is no interpretation. In addition it is not easy to search through a passage for the relevant information as Braille takes much more time to read and finally a lot of memorization is necessary in order to achieve success in life. As standard procedures and systems for education are not sufficient for these people a novel approach is necessary. The recent advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have placed e-learning at the front row of education methodologies for the disabled. E-learning applications and websites specifically designed for accessibility help to improve the quality of the education without undermining the functionality and the usability. This paper first outlines the challenges and the shortcomings of e-learning schemas for the visually impaired and then proposes a novel touch screen application implemented via an effective and interactive user-friendly e-learning system. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.