Inquiry into accessibility service possibilities for blind and low-vision university students through co-designing a 3D-printed tactile campus map

Purpose Our study’s purpose is to understand the possibilities and challenges of using 3D printed tactile maps to improve campus navigational services for blind and low-vision (BLV) students. Design/methodology/approach We used a participatory design (PD) approach with co-design sessions, focus groups and interviews with students with disabilities and university accessibility service providers. In this study, we focus on findings from a focus group with expert accessibility service providers. Findings Key contributions include insight into the navigational challenges and preferences of BLV students in a university environment. We further discuss the importance of collaboration between researchers and university accessibility service providers and the need to adopt accessible principles at an institutional level to support do-it-yourself (DIY) assistive technology approaches, increasing access in formal learning contexts. Research limitations/implications The scope of our participant pool was limited, involving a small number of students from a single US institution. Also, the inaccessibility of the 3D design tools we had access to prevented our participants from engaging directly in the map design process. Practical implications Our work contributes to the accessibility and assistive technologies research communities by highlighting the challenges faced by BLV students when navigating their campus and by demonstrating the efficacy of PD practices in developing 3D-printed tactile maps that elevate their needs and open up possibilities for advocacy and multi-stakeholder conversation. Originality/value Our study shows the perspectives of university accessibility service providers on the possibility of using DIY assistive technology, such as a 3D-printed tactile campus map, to facilitate accessibility services for BLV university students in the United States.