"It's an independent living skill, but covered with fun!": Prompting At-Home Skill Development for Children with Vision Impairment

This study examined how to design tools that build independence with Blind or Visually Impaired (BVI) children and their families. Beyond core academics, BVI children require instruction on independent living skills, with their curriculum necessitating parent-school cooperation to support continued education at home. However, most technology for BVI children focus on academics, spatial orientation, and physical mobility. In this work, we aim to design a tool for independence that aligns with existing familial structures and activities. Through interviews and diary studies with five families, we explored development practices parents used with their BVI children, parent-teacher relationships, and how a prompting and reflection tool supported family goals. This study highlights home routines and independence skills that benefit from customized prompting, how activity prompts can encourage parents to scale back their assistance and propel independence, and how reflection builds optimism and empowers parents in the learning process.