Assessing a low vision reading aid for macular disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing an iPad app (MD_evReader) as a low-vision aid for reading in macular disease
IRAS ID
145302
Contact name
Robin Walker
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Holloway University of London
Research summary
The MD_evReader iPad app has been developed by the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London as a low-vision reading aid for people with macular disease. The app presents text (from eBooks and ePub documents) using a dynamic horizontal scrolling format (similar to that used in news ‘tickers’). The text is scrolled, from right to left, one line at a time and the scrolling speed can be controlled using a trackpad. This is potentially beneficial for people with macular disease who can be trained to make use of their relatively preserved peripheral (non-foveal) visual abilities using a technique called ‘eccentric viewing’. Eccentric viewing is often combined with the ‘steady eye’ technique whereby people try not to make eye movements but to move the page of text instead. The advantage of using dynamic electronic text is that the reader does not have to make eye movements and can hold a ‘steady-eye’ at their eccentric viewing location. The app allows user control over the scrolling speed and direction and also enables large text to be presented via a digital monitor. Although there are good theoretical reasons to assume that reading and the user experience of reading should be enhanced when using the MD_evReader this has yet to be evaluated and is the primary objective of this study.
This study involves an investigation of reading performance in volunteers with macular disease when reading dynamic (scrolling) text presented with the MD_evReader iPad app compared with reading static lines of text. The main measures of interest are: reading rate (words per minute), reading errors and comprehension (how well the text was understood). In addition the user experience of reading with and without the app will also be evaluated using a questionnaire.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0047
Date of REC Opinion
17 Mar 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion