Enhancing Accessibility of Visual Information via Sound: Metaphoric Association versus Rule-Based Mapping

The goal of this study was to develop and test methods for enhancing accessibility of visual information through conversion to sound. In three experiments, normally sighted and visually impaired participants learned to associate sounds to referent visual stimuli. The conversion included an experience-based method that made use of natural sounds of objects and a rule-based method, which produced an appropriate “auditory graph” via a precise function. Learning was easier with the first method but an appreciable transfer of learning was only observed with the second method. Rendering the visual input highly accessible, these methods are capable of improving activities of daily living.