Blind People and the Internet

The Internet and access to the web have opened up many new opportunities for people with visual impairments and blindness. The acceleration of technology and information has led to greater opportunities for independence in the daily living of disabled people—perhaps even more so than any other segment of society. For people with visual impairments and blindness, chief among these impacts has been the ability to access information that was previously only available via dependence on others (e.g., in the form of audio and Braille books).

The potential impact of a visual disability has profoundly changed with access to the web as many barriers to communication, information [Page 58]access, and interaction that people face in the physical world are partially eliminated. Options for searching for new information ...