Understanding Nature Engagement Experiences of Blind People

2026-02-19

AI Summary

This study addresses the lack of systematic research on how blind individuals experience nature, their level of nature connectedness, and their needs regarding assistive technologies. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines survey data from 20 blind and 20 sighted participants with in-depth interviews involving 16 blind individuals to explore non-visual modes of nature engagement, associated attitudes, values, and expectations for technology. The findings reveal, for the first time, the distinctive ways in which blind people experience nature and demonstrate significantly lower levels of nature connectedness compared to sighted individuals. Three core themes emerged: practices and challenges in nature participation, value systems, and expectations for assistive technologies. Building on these insights, the study proposes design principles for inclusive assistive technologies that support equitable access to natural environments, offering both theoretical grounding and practical guidance for future accessible interaction technologies.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility
• Computer Vision: Bias, Fairness & Privacy
• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Privacy-enhancing technologies
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience

Abstract

Nature plays a crucial role in human health and well-being, but little is known about how blind people experience and relate to it. We conducted a survey of nature relatedness with blind (N=20) and sighted (N=20) participants, along with in-depth interviews with 16 blind participants, to examine how blind people engage with nature and the factors shaping this engagement. Our survey results revealed lower levels of nature relatedness among blind participants compared to sighted peers. Our interview study further highlighted: 1) current practices and challenges of nature engagement, 2) attitudes and values that shape engagement, and 3) expectations for assistive technologies that support safe and meaningful engagement. We also provide design implications to guide future technologies that support nature engagement for blind people. Overall, our findings illustrate how blind people experience nature beyond vision and lay a foundation for technologies that support inclusive nature engagement.

Problem

• nature engagement
• blind people
• nature relatedness
• inclusive interaction
• accessibility

Innovation

• nature engagement
• blind people
• assistive technology
• inclusive design
• sensory experience