A case study of visually impaired individuals' preferences of the availability of Braille clothing labels in shopping and selection of apparel

Visually impaired individuals have obstacles in their lives that could make them feel less independent and equal to people who can see. Specifically, those who are visually impaired are not able to see common details of clothing (i.e., colors, texture, sizes, pricing) they intend to buy, making these individuals subject to seeking help from others or having to opt for using the same colors and patterns for all of their clothing. Introducing a Braille design embossed on the label would allow visually impaired individuals to read crucial data about the piece of clothing. The subjects for this study included a convenience sample of visually impaired individuals from a midsize, Midwest university. Visually impaired individuals face challenges while shopping for clothing, especially in the identification of the prices, color, and size of the clothes. The results show that dependence on family members is high and seems to be a primary option the participants have. Additionally, a majority of the participants indicated that a Braille label for clothing is important to enable them to shop for the clothes of their choice. Participants confirmed that they would desire attributes, especially color, price, and care, be included on Braille labels.