Generative AI use by blind and low vision software professionals in the workplace

The software development workplace poses numerous technical and collaborative accessibility challenges for blind and low vision software professionals (BLVSPs). Though Generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly adopted within the software development industry and has been a rapidly growing topic of interest in research, to date, the unique perspectives of BLVSPs have yet to be consulted. We report on a qualitative study involving 39 semi-structured interviews with BLVSPs about what the introduction of GenAI has meant for their work. We found that BLVSPs used GenAI for many software development tasks, resulting in benefits such as increased productivity and accessibility. However, significant costs were also accompanied by GenAI use, as they were more vulnerable to hallucinations than their sighted colleagues. Sometimes, organizational policies prevented use. Based on our findings, we discuss the higher-risks and higher-returns that BLVSPs had to carefully weigh when deciding whether and when to use GenAI tools for work.

Methods
Data Preparation

The researchers developed the interview protocols before the semi-structured interviews. The Study_1 protocol was used to interview 30 participants in an earlier study that subsequently formed part of this one. The Study_2 protocol was used to interview nine additional participants and to re-interview some of the previous 30 participants. 

Data Collection

The demographic data in this dataset were collected during the study's recruitment process.

The accompanying research paper provides further details on the research method, including participant recruitment.