**2. Smartphones assistive technology for persons with visual impairment**

Conventionally, people and even health care providers, frequently, do not consider smartphones as assistive technology for visual impairment and blindness [12, 13]. Since, the smartphone technology heavily relies on a good visual function, many believe that such a technology is not particularly accessible to individuals with visual impairment. There is perceived limitation on the use of smartphones among the general public, eye care professionals, and caregivers, by visually impaired people.

Over the last few years, the research on "Human-Computer -Interaction" has been gaining a lot of attention, and have been developed many innovative assistive technologies that drive with a new interface design which not only makes more accessible, user-centered but also user-friendly for visually disabled people. Such

**Figure 3.** *Eyes-free smartphone interaction using gesture.*

remarkable changes in assistive technology development transform the need of visual interaction to audio or haptic or tactile interaction with the technology. Till now smartphones are one of the most advance features of computer technology of the 21st century, that contain many functionalities of advance computer technologies, including technologies related to electronic information and communication system. Various innovations on usage of other body senses, for example, gestures, haptic, or audio, other than vision are being developed, making a truly eyes-free means in human smartphone interaction (**Figure 3**), and thereby, significantly improve accessibility to individuals with visual impairment. The smartphones have a large touchscreen system to run it, and can access mobile internet data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Such an innovative touch-screen accessibility leads to an obvious benefit to visually challenged individuals, and also helps to overcome many challenges. The common operating systems of smartphones are based on the Android, Apple iOS and Windows phone, BlackBerry; Android being the most common, 59.1% in market shared [14].
