Breaking down barriers: A new approach to virtual museum navigation for people with visual impairments through voice assistants

People with visual imparments (PWVI) encounter challenges in accessing cultural, historical, and practical information in a predominantly visual world, limiting their participation in various activities, including visits to museums.Museums, as important centers for exploration and learning, often overlook these accessibility issues.This abstract presents the iMuse Model, an innovative approach to create accessible and inclusive museum environments for them.The iMuse Model centers around the co-design of a prototype voice assistant integrated into Google Home, aimed at enabling remote navigation for PWVI within the Basilica Cistern museum in Turkey.This model consists of a two-layer study.The first layer involves collaboration with PWVI and their sight loss instructors to develop a five level framework tailored to their unique needs and challenges.The second layer focuses on testing this design with 30 people with visual impairments, employing various methodologies, including the Wizard of Oz technique.Our prototype provides inclusive audio descriptions that encompass sensory, emotional, historical, and structural elements, along with spatialized sounds from the museum environment, improving spatial understanding and cognitive map development.Notably, we have developed two versions of the voice assistant: one with a humorous interaction and one with a non-humorous approach. Users expressed a preference for the humorous version, leading to increased interaction, enjoyment, and social learning, as supported by both qualitative and quantitative results.In conclusion, the iMuse Model highlights the potential of co-designed, humor-infused, and culturally sensitive voice assistants.Our model not only aid PWVI in navigating unfamiliar spaces but also enhance their social learning, engagement, and appreciation of cultural heritage within museum environments.