Broadening Our View: Assistive Technology for Cerebral Visual Impairment

TL;DR

CVI is a brain-based visual impairment that is underrepresented in assistive technology research. The paper uses a scoping review to map CVI–VBAT literature, identifying only 14 relevant papers and revealing a strong focus on diagnosis and understanding rather than assistance, with just three VBAT studies. Key findings emphasize CVI-specific needs such as vision-centric interaction, sensitivity to visual complexity, potential neuroplastic effects, and frequent comorbidity with other neurological conditions. The work highlights a substantial gap and advocates for human-centered, CVI-tailored VBAT development to improve daily functioning and guide future HCI/AT research.

Abstract

Over the past decade, considerable research has been directed towards assistive technologies to support people with vision impairments using machine learning, computer vision, image enhancement, and/or augmented/virtual reality. However, this has almost totally overlooked a growing demographic: people with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI). Unlike Ocular Vision Impairments (OVI), CVI arises from damage to the brain's visual processing centres. This paper introduces CVI and reveals a wide research gap in addressing the needs of this demographic. Through a scoping review, we identified 14 papers at the intersection of these technologies and CVI. Of these, only three papers described assistive technologies focused on people living with CVI, with the others focusing on diagnosis, understanding, simulation or rehabilitation. Our findings highlight the opportunity for the Human-Computer Interaction and Assistive Technologies research community to explore and address this underrepresented domain, thereby enhancing the quality of life for people with CVI.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Overview of low-level and high-level visual difficulties for people with CVI. Note that this list is not exhaustive.
• Figure 2: Summary of findings from the Scoping Review