A pesquisa tem como tema o Turismo de Aventura praticado pelo deficiente visual. A escolha foi feita em função de motivações pessoais e da relevância do assunto no âmbito do turismo, no momento em que se ampliam as possibilidades de reconhecimento da cidadania das pessoas portadoras de algum tipo de deficiência. O estudo teve como participantes portadores de deficiência visual congênita e adquirida. O referencial teórico pertinente ao Turismo de Aventura e a Deficiência Visual ainda é muito escasso, mas não foi fator que impedisse a realização da pesquisa, uma vez que o propósito foi produzir um trabalho acadêmico que abrisse mais uma janela no âmbito do turismo. Sob perspectiva do paradigma qualitativo, utilizou-se a metodologia descritiva do tipo estudo de caso. O quadro teórico engloba os seguintes tópicos: a) análise do objeto de estudo em questão; b) o turismo de aventura; c) a deficiência; d) estudo da deficiência visual, especificidades e características dos participantes; e) descrição das atividades de aventura como arvorismo, escalada, rapel e tirolesa; e, f) procedimentos técnicos que nortearam a realização das atividades. Os participantes do estudo foram 7 pessoas portadoras de cegueira congênita e adquirida na faixa etária entre 31 a 74 anos. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada no Alpen Park, na cidade de Canela/RS, local em que são oferecidos pela Empresa Atitude, Ecologia e Turismo atividades de Turismo de Aventura. O procedimento utilizado como os deficientes visuais nas atividades de aventura estudadas seguiu a mesma rotina utilizada com videntes. A coleta de informações englobou registros de dados cadastrais dos participantes, entrevistas semiestruturadas aplicada aos participantes, memoriais descritivos elaborados pelos participantes após a realização das atividades de aventura, memorial descritivo elaborado pela pesquisadora a partir das observações de campo, análise de vídeos e de acervo fotográfico construído a partir da experiência empírica com os DVs. As informações recolhidas são descritas e analisadas à luz do problema e dos sujeitos do estudo. As discussões e interpretação das informações se dão a partir de unidades de significados e categorias de análise. Os resultados apontam que o turismo de aventura é percebido pelos deficientes visuais como uma atividade que lhes proporciona satisfação e bem estar na superação do que poderia ser limitador aos portadores desta deficiência. O estudo indicou que não há necessidade de adaptações técnicas para que os DV pratiquem e desfrutem do turismo de aventura. O Turismo de Aventura é um segmento de mercado latente e pronto para ser explorado inclusive com deficientes visuais. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-06-04T19:44:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Denise Holleben.pdf: 16920103 bytes, checksum: 0d6877c29c24e4fe42db54b72dd1c58e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-04T19:44:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Denise Holleben.pdf: 16920103 bytes, checksum: 0d6877c29c24e4fe42db54b72dd1c58e (MD5) / The research is about the Adventure Tourism practiced by visual disability. The choice was made based on personal motivations and the relevance of the issue within the tourism, when we are expand the possibilities of recognition of the citizenship of people with some type of disability. The study participants as people with visual disabilities congenital and acquired. The theoretical framework relevant to the Adventure Tourism and Visual Disabilities is still scarce, but they are not factors which prevent the achievement of research, since the purpose was producing a scholarly work that opens another window in the context of tourism. On a qualitative view of the paradigm, we used the methodology of the descriptive type of case study. The theoretical framework includes the following topics: a) analysis of the object of study in question; b) the adventure tourism; c) the disability; d) the disability visual study, specificities and characteristics of the participants; e) description of the activities like trees adventures, climbing, rappel and tyrol, and f) technical procedures that guided the implementation of activities. The participants were 7 people with congenital and acquired blindness in the age group between 31 to 74 years. The fieldwork was realized in Alpen Park, located in Canela/RS, where they are supplied by the Company Attitude, Ecology and Tourism Activities of Adventure Tourism. The procedure used for the visual disabilities in activities of adventure studied followed routine used with visionaries. Data collection included records of cadastral data of the participants, semi-applied to interview participants, descriptive memorial prepared by the participants after the completion of the activities of adventure, descriptive memorial developed by the researcher from the field observations, analysis of video and photographic collection constructed from the empirical experience with the DVS. The information collected is described and analyzed in light of the problem and subject of study. The discussion and interpretation of information is given as units of meaning and categories of analysis. The results indicate that the adventure tourism is perceived by the blind as an activity that provides them satisfaction and well being in overcoming what might be limiting this to people with these disabilities. The study indicated that there is no need for technical adaptations to the DVS practice and enjoy the adventure tourism. The Adventure Tourism is a latent market segment and ready to be exploited even with the blind.

O presente trabalho apresenta uma inovação (invenção) aplicada como uma ferramenta de inclusão à educação e de acessibilidade entre pessoas deficientes visuais, que representam 6,98% da população brasileira (IBGE, 2002). Propõe-se a impressão simultânea usando o sistema Braille tradicional aplicado com verniz poli(metacrilato de metila) em relevo polimerizável por ultravioleta (UV) junto com impressão tradicional em tinta (por exemplo, offset); sendo denominado pelo autor como i-Br/Vza-UVxmf e que pode estar presente em peças de embalagem, sinalização, rótulos, etiquetas, produtos editoriais e outros. O sistema proposto elimina o uso de alvéolos e microfuros deixados no sistema tradicional, que corresponde ao atual estado da arte, da impressão em Braille. Além disso, o sistema de microfuros apresenta o risco de contaminação (ou a passagem de substâncias) no caso de embalagens de alimentos, uso pessoal ou asseio; o que não ocorrerá no processo i-Br/Vza-UVxmf. Notou-se que, o processo proposto pode ser aplicado a qualquer produto promocional ou editorial (como um documento, livro ou embalagem). Este material impresso será útil tanto aos videntes normais (que lerão o que está impresso) como aos deficientes visuais (que “lerão” em Braille graças ao relevo gerado pelo verniz poli(metacrilato de metila)); aplicação de Tiflotecnologia que é a arte e técnica de escrever para cegos. Trata-se, então, de uma proposta facilitadora da convivência e relacionamento entre pessoas deficientes visuais com pessoas videntes normais, conduzindo-as para melhor nível de vida e educação. Além disso, o presente trabalho poderá contribuir com a aplicação da legislação vigente que exige a divulgação da informação nas embalagens de medicamentos, alimentos, material de uso pessoal e asseio; mediante a comunicação do nome, conteúdo, especificação, uso e validade de produtos, bens e serviços empacotados. Por fim, pessoas videntes normais poderão se beneficiar do sistema proposto, servindo-se do material impresso em tinta com caracteres gráficos e também em Braille, familiarizando-lhes no uso da comunicação táctil (escrita em Braille) Braille & Tinta. / This paper presents an innovation (invention) that is applied as a tool for education inclusion and of accessibility among visually impaired people, representing 6.98% of the Brazilian population. The simultaneous printing using the Braille system along with its equivalent in Portuguese (or any other language) is proposed. A text printed in Portuguese (e.g., using offset printing) will then be printed in Braille applied using acrylic varnish that is dried with ultraviolet (UV) rays. This printing approach has been named i-Br/Vza-UVxmf and may be present in packages or publishing products. The proposed system eliminates the use of micro-holes left by traditional printing in Braille. Moreover, the system of micro-holes presents the risk of contamination (or the passage of contaminating substances) in the case of food packaging, personal use or cleansing items, which will not happen in the i-Br/Vza-UVxmf process. Since the proposed process can be applied to any editorial product (as a document, book or package), this printed material will be useful either to the normal sighted (who will read the material printed in Portuguese) as the visually impaired (who read Braille thanks to the embossing generated by the acrylic varnish). It’s Tiflotegnologics the art and Technique to write and editing for impaired people Then, this approach is intended to facilitate the living and the relationship among visually impaired and normal sighted people; leading them to better living and education standards. Moreover, this study may contribute to the implementation of existing legislation that requires the disclosure of information on medicine, food, personal use or cleansing items packaging. Current legislation demands the communication of name, content, specifications and expiration date of products. Finally, normal sighted people can benefit from the proposed system, making use of the fact that the material is printed in Portuguese and in Braille; and making them familiar with the use of tactile communication(written in Braille).

O presente trabalho apresenta uma inovação (invenção) aplicada como uma ferramenta de inclusão à educação e de acessibilidade entre pessoas deficientes visuais, que representam 6,98% da população brasileira (IBGE, 2002). Propõe-se a impressão simultânea usando o sistema Braille tradicional aplicado com verniz poli(metacrilato de metila) em relevo polimerizável por ultravioleta (UV) junto com impressão tradicional em tinta (por exemplo, offset); sendo denominado pelo autor como i-Br/Vza-UVxmf e que pode estar presente em peças de embalagem, sinalização, rótulos, etiquetas, produtos editoriais e outros. O sistema proposto elimina o uso de alvéolos e microfuros deixados no sistema tradicional, que corresponde ao atual estado da arte, da impressão em Braille. Além disso, o sistema de microfuros apresenta o risco de contaminação (ou a passagem de substâncias) no caso de embalagens de alimentos, uso pessoal ou asseio; o que não ocorrerá no processo i-Br/Vza-UVxmf. Notou-se que, o processo proposto pode ser aplicado a qualquer produto promocional ou editorial (como um documento, livro ou embalagem). Este material impresso será útil tanto aos videntes normais (que lerão o que está impresso) como aos deficientes visuais (que “lerão” em Braille graças ao relevo gerado pelo verniz poli(metacrilato de metila)); aplicação de Tiflotecnologia que é a arte e técnica de escrever para cegos. Trata-se, então, de uma proposta facilitadora da convivência e relacionamento entre pessoas deficientes visuais com pessoas videntes normais, conduzindo-as para melhor nível de vida e educação. Além disso, o presente trabalho poderá contribuir com a aplicação da legislação vigente que exige a divulgação da informação nas embalagens de medicamentos, alimentos, material de uso pessoal e asseio; mediante a comunicação do nome, conteúdo, especificação, uso e validade de produtos, bens e serviços empacotados. Por fim, pessoas videntes normais poderão se beneficiar do sistema proposto, servindo-se do material impresso em tinta com caracteres gráficos e também em Braille, familiarizando-lhes no uso da comunicação táctil (escrita em Braille) Braille & Tinta. / This paper presents an innovation (invention) that is applied as a tool for education inclusion and of accessibility among visually impaired people, representing 6.98% of the Brazilian population. The simultaneous printing using the Braille system along with its equivalent in Portuguese (or any other language) is proposed. A text printed in Portuguese (e.g., using offset printing) will then be printed in Braille applied using acrylic varnish that is dried with ultraviolet (UV) rays. This printing approach has been named i-Br/Vza-UVxmf and may be present in packages or publishing products. The proposed system eliminates the use of micro-holes left by traditional printing in Braille. Moreover, the system of micro-holes presents the risk of contamination (or the passage of contaminating substances) in the case of food packaging, personal use or cleansing items, which will not happen in the i-Br/Vza-UVxmf process. Since the proposed process can be applied to any editorial product (as a document, book or package), this printed material will be useful either to the normal sighted (who will read the material printed in Portuguese) as the visually impaired (who read Braille thanks to the embossing generated by the acrylic varnish). It’s Tiflotegnologics the art and Technique to write and editing for impaired people Then, this approach is intended to facilitate the living and the relationship among visually impaired and normal sighted people; leading them to better living and education standards. Moreover, this study may contribute to the implementation of existing legislation that requires the disclosure of information on medicine, food, personal use or cleansing items packaging. Current legislation demands the communication of name, content, specifications and expiration date of products. Finally, normal sighted people can benefit from the proposed system, making use of the fact that the material is printed in Portuguese and in Braille; and making them familiar with the use of tactile communication(written in Braille).

The purpose of this study was to investigate a program model in which parents and adolescents examine personal values, career decisions and plans. The subjects were visually impaired students enrolled in regular secondary school and their parents. Twenty volunteer adolescents with visual impairments and their parents from 18 school districts in the province of British Columbia participated in the study. The program consisted of four Partner’s Program (Cochran, 1985) booklets: a parent guideline manual, activity self-exploration exercises, career decisions framework, and a planning workbook designed to facilitate parent involvement in career development activities. Two special career reference publications which described a variety of occupations and necessary adaptations and technical devices designed for individuals with visual impairment were also included. These materials were presented in audio tape, large print and braille. Adolescent subjects and their parents were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. Each group received materials and were given five weeks to complete the program. The Career Decision Scale (Osipow, 1976), Parent Adolescent Communication Scale (Barnes & Olson, 1982), and Career Salience Scale (Greenhaus, 1971, 1977) were employed. All participants were interviewed following the program. A multivariate analysis of variance was computed, and the combined five dependent variables were significantly affected between groups upon completion of the program by the first group. The combined dependent variables were significantly affected again with the second group upon completion of the program. Examination of effect sizes for each dependent variable attributed the differences to gains in measures of career planning and career salience and a decline in career indecision. The effects on the measures of communication were inconclusive. The results indicated that students in both experimental groups confirmed their career choices and became more aware of personal career values. The subjects felt they were encouraged to plan and prepare for a career, explore options, and consider their visual disabilities. Career planning was deemed important by all participants. The importance of work and career were confirmed for participants. Students’ attitudes improved with confirmation of plans and career alternatives. The effects of the program in career development of adolescents with visual impairments and the importance of parent-student communication were positive. The comments of the parents suggested that they had acquired understanding of their child’s career choices. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

The older adult population in the United States is rapidly expanding both because of longer life expectancies as well as the aging of the baby boomers. While vision impairment is a growing concern among older adults, there have been few, mostly small studies, of the impact of vision impairment on this population. The present study uses a national data set, the Second Supplement on Aging (1994 -1996) from the National Health Interview Survey, in a cross-sectional study of 9,447 civilian non-institutionalized persons, aged 70 years and over at the time of their interview. The SOA II has been studied in the context of a social theory of aging that emphasizes interdependence through the life course using a stress process model that has been refined into a disability model. Disability is understood as a social construction outcome rather than as a medical outcome. Vision impairment is the stressor which is mediated by health (falls, functioning and self-health report), financial resources (education, income and having only public health insurance) and social support (marital, living along, having no living children, social activities in number and intensity). Depression is a possible, but not a necessary result of vision impairment. Disability may result when a medical pathology leads to an impairment which results in a functional limitation and finally a social disability. This secondary analysis used a multinomial logistic regression for both the whole sample as well as separately for each gender. For the whole sample the results indicate that a typical profile of a vision-impaired older adult depressed some/all of the time, would be a younger-old White woman (aged 70-74 years old) who has fallen in the past 12 months, has difficult with one or more Activities of Daily Living or with both one or more Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, has a poor to fair self-heath report, a family income under $20,000, a high school or less education, lives alone, has a living child and lacks social activities in number and intensity. In the gender samples, only the female sample at the some/all of the time depression category is significant. Older vision-impaired adults, especially older women who have more social supports are less likely to be depressed and so disabled. There is a need for social policies that will educate, encourage and support older vision-impaired adults as they seek to compensate for the loss of vision, often late in life.

A pesquisa tem como tema o Turismo de Aventura praticado pelo deficiente visual. A escolha foi feita em função de motivações pessoais e da relevância do assunto no âmbito do turismo, no momento em que se ampliam as possibilidades de reconhecimento da cidadania das pessoas portadoras de algum tipo de deficiência. O estudo teve como participantes portadores de deficiência visual congênita e adquirida. O referencial teórico pertinente ao Turismo de Aventura e a Deficiência Visual ainda é muito escasso, mas não foi fator que impedisse a realização da pesquisa, uma vez que o propósito foi produzir um trabalho acadêmico que abrisse mais uma janela no âmbito do turismo. Sob perspectiva do paradigma qualitativo, utilizou-se a metodologia descritiva do tipo estudo de caso. O quadro teórico engloba os seguintes tópicos: a) análise do objeto de estudo em questão; b) o turismo de aventura; c) a deficiência; d) estudo da deficiência visual, especificidades e características dos participantes; e) descrição das atividades de aventura como arvorismo, escalada, rapel e tirolesa; e, f) procedimentos técnicos que nortearam a realização das atividades. Os participantes do estudo foram 7 pessoas portadoras de cegueira congênita e adquirida na faixa etária entre 31 a 74 anos. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada no Alpen Park, na cidade de Canela/RS, local em que são oferecidos pela Empresa Atitude, Ecologia e Turismo atividades de Turismo de Aventura. O procedimento utilizado como os deficientes visuais nas atividades de aventura estudadas seguiu a mesma rotina utilizada com videntes. A coleta de informações englobou registros de dados cadastrais dos participantes, entrevistas semiestruturadas aplicada aos participantes, memoriais descritivos elaborados pelos participantes após a realização das atividades de aventura, memorial descritivo elaborado pela pesquisadora a partir das observações de campo, análise de vídeos e de acervo fotográfico construído a partir da experiência empírica com os DVs. As informações recolhidas são descritas e analisadas à luz do problema e dos sujeitos do estudo. As discussões e interpretação das informações se dão a partir de unidades de significados e categorias de análise. Os resultados apontam que o turismo de aventura é percebido pelos deficientes visuais como uma atividade que lhes proporciona satisfação e bem estar na superação do que poderia ser limitador aos portadores desta deficiência. O estudo indicou que não há necessidade de adaptações técnicas para que os DV pratiquem e desfrutem do turismo de aventura. O Turismo de Aventura é um segmento de mercado latente e pronto para ser explorado inclusive com deficientes visuais. / The research is about the Adventure Tourism practiced by visual disability. The choice was made based on personal motivations and the relevance of the issue within the tourism, when we are expand the possibilities of recognition of the citizenship of people with some type of disability. The study participants as people with visual disabilities congenital and acquired. The theoretical framework relevant to the Adventure Tourism and Visual Disabilities is still scarce, but they are not factors which prevent the achievement of research, since the purpose was producing a scholarly work that opens another window in the context of tourism. On a qualitative view of the paradigm, we used the methodology of the descriptive type of case study. The theoretical framework includes the following topics: a) analysis of the object of study in question; b) the adventure tourism; c) the disability; d) the disability visual study, specificities and characteristics of the participants; e) description of the activities like trees adventures, climbing, rappel and tyrol, and f) technical procedures that guided the implementation of activities. The participants were 7 people with congenital and acquired blindness in the age group between 31 to 74 years. The fieldwork was realized in Alpen Park, located in Canela/RS, where they are supplied by the Company Attitude, Ecology and Tourism Activities of Adventure Tourism. The procedure used for the visual disabilities in activities of adventure studied followed routine used with visionaries. Data collection included records of cadastral data of the participants, semi-applied to interview participants, descriptive memorial prepared by the participants after the completion of the activities of adventure, descriptive memorial developed by the researcher from the field observations, analysis of video and photographic collection constructed from the empirical experience with the DVS. The information collected is described and analyzed in light of the problem and subject of study. The discussion and interpretation of information is given as units of meaning and categories of analysis. The results indicate that the adventure tourism is perceived by the blind as an activity that provides them satisfaction and well being in overcoming what might be limiting this to people with these disabilities. The study indicated that there is no need for technical adaptations to the DVS practice and enjoy the adventure tourism. The Adventure Tourism is a latent market segment and ready to be exploited even with the blind.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / To access interactive systems, blind and visually impaired users can leverage their auditory senses by using non-speech sounds. The current structure of non-speech sounds, however, is geared toward conveying user interface operations (e.g., opening a file) rather than large theme-based information (e.g., a history passage) and, thus, is ill-suited to signify the complex meanings of primary learning material (e.g., books and websites). In order to address this problem, this dissertation introduces audemes, a new category of non-speech sounds, whose semiotic structure and flexibility open new horizons for facilitating the education of blind and visually impaired students. An experiment with 21 students from the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) supports the hypothesis that audemes increase the retention of theme-based information. By acting as memory catalysts, audemes can play an important role in enhancing the aural interaction and navigation in future sound-based user interfaces. For this dissertation, I designed an Acoustic EDutainment INterface (AEDIN) that integrates audemes as a way by which to vividly anticipate text-to-speech theme-based information and, thus, act as innovative aural covers. The results of two iterative usability evaluations with total of 20 blind and visually impaired participants showed that AEDIN is a highly usable and enjoyable acoustic interface. Yet, designing well-formed audemes remains an ad hoc process because audeme creators can only rely on their intuition to generate meaningful and memorable sounds. In order to address this problem, this dissertation presents three experiments, each with 10 blind and visually impaired participants. The goal was to examine the optimal combination of audeme attributes, which can be used to facilitate accurate recognitions of audeme meanings. This work led to the creation of seven basic guidelines that can be used to design well-formed audemes. An interactive application tool (ASCOLTA: Advanced Support and Creation-Oriented Library Tool for Audemes) operationalized these guidelines to support individuals without an audio background in designing well-formed audemes. An informal evaluation conducted with three teachers from the ISBVI, supports the hypothesis that ASCOLTA is a useful tool by which to facilitate the integration of audemes into the teaching environment.

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences (both professional and personal) of the therapist who is visually impaired or blind. This is a post-modernist dissertation contextualised within the ecosystemic-hermeneutical epistemology. These paradigms are two sides of the same coin and emphasize a social constructionist worldview. A descriptive methodology within the domain of language and narrative discourse is utilised in accordance with this worldview. The narratives of two research participants were recounted through the researcher's lens within particular `dimensions of understanding'. These `dimensions of understanding' were interpreted, deconstructed and co-constructed (with the research participants). Thus this dissertation operates simultaneously on a number of different levels which emphasises the social constructionist worldview. This also allowed for the hermeneutic-ecosystemic analysis of these `dimensions of understanding' as method of data analysis. There are also emerging `dimensions of understanding' from the researcher's own perspective and personal experience as a visually impaired therapist in training. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

With the advancements in medicine and welfare systems, the average life span of modern human beings is expanding, creating a new market for elderly care and assistive technology. Along with the development of assistive devices based on traditional aids such as voice-readers, electronic wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs, a robotic platform is one of the most suitable platforms for providing multi-purpose assistance in human life. This research focuses on the transference of environmental perception to a human user through the use of interactive multi-modal feedback and an assistive robotic platform. A novel framework for haptic telepresence is presented to solve the problem, and state-of-the-art methodologies from computer vision, haptics, and robotics are utilized. The objective of this research is to design a framework that achieves the following: 1) This framework integrates visual perception from heterogeneous vision sensors, 2) it enables real-time interactive haptic representation of the real world through a mobile manipulation robotic platform and a haptic interface, and 3) it achieves haptic fusion of multiple sensory modalities from the robotic platform and provides interactive feedback to the human user. Specifically, a set of multi-disciplinary algorithms such as stereo-vision processes, three-dimensional (3D) map-building algorithms, and virtual-proxy based haptic volume representation processes will be integrated into a unified framework to successfully accomplish the goal. The application area of this work is focused on, but not limited to, assisting people with visual impairment with a robotic platform by providing multi-modal feedback of the environment.

This study describes the factors influencing user satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the quality and delivery of services at by the Montreal Association for the Blind (MAB). It involved the development of a 119-item questionnaire which was administered to a stratified sample of 60 users served by four organizational multidisciplinary teams. The data were collected through users' records via the MAB computer data base and face-to-face structured interviews. High levels of satisfaction were reported, both overall and for individual aspects of services; highest for the Early Intervention Program and lowest for User Empowerment. Older respondents were significantly more satisfied than younger respondents with general services. Younger and better educated users were found to be the least satisfied with the attention given to their questions and overall needs, and with the information provided. Low User Empowerment scores suggest that the Users' Committee may wish to explore various ways to communicate information.