These resources were developed from NRTC research on assistive technology (AT) use in the workplace by people who are blind or have low vision (B/LV). Some resources, like the final report, are for a general audience, and others were designed for specific audiences, such as AT instructors, other professionals, or individuals who are B/LV.
AT in the Workplace Study Final Report
This report presents findings from the NRTC’s five-year longitudinal study of AT use in the workplace by people who are B/LV, covering which technologies workers use, how they use them, how AT use has changed over time, and the challenges they face.
NRTC AT Study Final Report 2026
AT Study – Highlights for Professionals
A concise summary of key findings from the AT in the Workplace study, designed for VR professionals and AT specialists
NRTC AT Study- Highlights for Professionals
AT Study – Checklist for Teaching Exploration & Troubleshooting
A practical checklist to guide AT specialists in teaching clients AT skills, including strategies for exploration and troubleshooting problems
Checklist for Teaching Exploration Troubleshooting
Fact Sheet – AT in the Workplace Study
This fact sheet presents key findings and practical takeaways from the AT in the Workplace study for people who are B/LV, covering AT skills needed for work, use of braille devices and apps, common workplace challenges, and training recommendations.
Fact Sheet - AT in the Workplace Study
Tip Sheet – Accessibility Workarounds for B/LV People
This tip sheet shares workaround strategies recommended by B/LV workers for dealing with inaccessible digital documents, inaccessible software, and PDF signature challenges, drawn directly from AT in the Workplace study participants.
Tip Sheet - Accessibility Workarounds
Supporting Workplace Success: Addressing Barriers to AT Use for People Who Are B/LV
Brief summary of key AT in the Workplace study findings, along with implications and resources for employers, professionals, and people who are B/LV (created by the Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Center)
Supporting Workplace Success: Addressing Barriers to AT Use for People Who Are B/LV
Infographic – Who has proficient braille skills?
A summary of the results from a study published in the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness
Infographic - Who has proficient braille skills?
AccessWorld Publications
McDonnall, M. (2025, Winter). Change in assistive technology use at work between 2021 and 2024. AccessWorld. https://afb.org/aw/winter2025/2021-2024-change-AT-usage
McDonnall, M. (2024, Fall). Remote sighted assistance app use and thoughts about “sighted” assistance from artificial intelligence. AccessWorld. https://www.afb.org/aw/fall2024/ai-usage-research
McDonnall, M. C. (2023, Summer). Challenges with AT in the workplace: Accessibility issues top the list. AccessWorld. https://www.afb.org/aw/24/6/1836
McDonnall, M. & Steverson, A. (2023, Spring). Interest in and adoption of novel AT: Findings from the NRTC’s AT in the Workplace study. AccessWorld. https://www.afb.org/aw/24/5/18311
Steverson, A., McDonnall, M., & Sergi, K. (2022, May). What assistive technologies are used in the workplace? Initial research findings by NRTC on Blindness and Low Vision, Mississippi State University. AccessWorld. https://www.afb.org/aw/23/5/17939
Peer-reviewed Publications
McDonnall, M. C., Boydstun, J., & Steverson, A. (2026). Advantages of using refreshable braille devices at work.PDF The New Re:View, 4(2), 84-89.
McDonnall, M. C., Boydstun, J., & Steverson, A. (2026). Use of wearable devices and generative AI in the workplace by people with visual impairments.PDF Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 120(2), 134-148.
McDonnall, M. C., Boydstun, J., & Steverson, A. (2025). Is one enough? Screen reader use among employed people who are blind or have low vision in the U.S.PDF Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. Advance online publication.
McDonnall, M. C., & Sessler Trinkowsky, R. (2025). Assistive technology innovations: Perceptions, adoption, and desires.PDF Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 19, 47-66.
McDonnall, M.C., Steverson, A., Boydstun, J., & D’Andrea, F.M. (2025). Factors associated with proficient braille skills in adults.PDF Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 111(2), 97-108.
McDonnall, M. C., Steverson, A., Trinkowsky, R. S., & Sergi, K. (2024). Assistive technology use in the workplace by people with blindness and low vision: Perceived skill level, satisfaction, and challengesPDF. Assistive Technology, 36(6), 429-436.
Boydstun, J., McDonnall, M. C., & Steverson, A. (2024). Assistive technology in the workplace and training needs: Insights from employed young adults who are blind or have low vision.PDF Visual Impairment and Deafblind Education Quarterly, 69(4), 79-96.
McDonnall, M. C., Sessler-Trinkowsky, R., & Steverson, A. (2024). Use of braille in the workplace by people who are blind.PDF Journal on Technology and Persons with Disabilities, 12, 58-75.
McDonnall, M. C., Steverson, A., & Boydstun, J. (2024). Actual and preferred methods for learning to use assistive technologyPDF. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 18, 20-35.
McDonnall, M. C., Sergi, K., & Steverson, A. (2023). Comparison of assistive technology use and beliefs among employed and unemployed people who are blind.PDF The New RE:View, 1(2), 12-27.