Smartphones for Vision Rehabilitation - Accessible Features and Apps, Opportunity, Challenges and Usability Evaluation.

In today's world, digital technology and smartphones have become part of our daily life. Smartphones are one of the most advanced forms of digital technology that can be considered an assistive technology for the disabled, even for individuals with vision loss. However, they are often not considered aids for the blind, especially in low-middle-income countries. There have been many developments in mobile technology that incorporates information technology, including electronic information, communications technology, and touch-screen accessibility. Such technology facilitates the carrying out of daily activities, independent functioning, movement, social inclusion and participation, educational activities, access to information of today's digital society, visual aid and, finally, helps to improve the life quality. To see smartphones as assistive technologies healthcare professionals, or rehabilitation professionals in general, must however be informed and become aware of the positive aspects and accessibility of these tools. Even engineers and developers, who continually promote the development of more innovative and easily accessible apps for visual impairments, must understand the overall potential of this device as the single app does not adapt to all types of visual impairments, for example , becoming necessary to develop not only clinical guidelines more appropriate for the use of such accessible apps or functionalities but also good practices that can help improve the transfer of knowledge from operators to end users.