The Preferences of People with Visual Impairments and Blindness for Clothing Information Written in Braille

Worldwide there are 1 billion visually impaired and blind individuals (VIBIs) and just within the United States (US), there are over 7 million VIBIs. This research surveyed twenty-three VIBIs to learn about their clothing preferences, their interest in conveying clothing information on a tag or the clothing itself, such as, for example, three-dimensional (3-D) printed braille, and what clothing information they would need/want to be 3-D printed. VIBIs have difficulty making satisfactory clothing purchases due to an inability to read important clothing information from the tags or take visual cues from the clothing itself. They are unable to successfully shop independently and are often left with difficulties identifying or caring for their clothing once they have made the purchases. 96% (22) of the respondents reported an interest in 3-D printed braille on clothing or clothing tags as a source of clothing information. While color, pattern, and size were marked as the most important information to be included, participants also indicated interest in the fiber content, country of origin, and care information. 3-D printed braille on clothing or clothing tags offers a viable solution for VIBIs’ obstacles when shopping independently. The technology to achieve this already exists and could be used to make clothing shopping accessible to the VIBI community.