  Design for Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) has become more relevant in recent
years due to the enormous advances of speech technologies and their growing
presence in our everyday lives. Although modern VUIs still present interaction
issues, reports indicate they are being adopted by people with different
disabilities and having a positive impact. For the first author's PhD research
project, an ethnographic study is currently being carried out in a local
charity that provides support and services to people with visual impairments.
The purpose is to understand people's competencies and practices, and how these
are, or could be, related to voice technologies (assistive technology and
mainstream VUIs). Through direct observation and contextual interviews, we aim
to investigate the problems and solutions they encounter and the ways they cope
with particular situations.
