J A Hill¹, J A Black²
¹Guide Dog Association of New South Wales and ACT, Client Services, NSW, Australia; ²Guide Dog Association of New South Wales and ACT, Client Services, Sydney, Australia
The Mowat Sensor has been the most popular Electronic Travel Aid (ETA) over the past thirty years (Blasch, Long and Griffin-Shirley, 1989). Production of this aid has recently ceased and there is an urgent need to develop an alternative.
This study employs a prospective methodology to evaluate how well a newly developed ETA (the Miniguide) meets the users needs and expectations. User expectations are measured prior to placement of the Miniguide. Eight weeks after placement user perceptions on the usefulness of the aid are surveyed and compared to their earlier expectations. Feedback is sought on frequency of use, comfort levels, independence and suitable environments as well as limitations.
The study is significant in that it includes the total population of the first fifty people to receive a Miniguide and it is the first of its kind to employ a prospective rather than retrospective methodology.
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