• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-60
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• 2016

This study investigated how people who became blind midway through life used music and how these uses differed according to individual factors. Sixty-one late-blind adults aged 40 to 60 years attending six welfare centers for the blind in Seoul and Gyeonggi region participated in this research. Participants were asked to complete a 25-question survey in Braille on music utilization and preference, as well as the purpose of music utilization. The response rate was 87.1%. The results were as follows. First, with regard to listening preference, they reported preferring to listen to upbeat popular music on the radio when resting at home. They liked to sing along to lyrics reminiscent of personal memories. String instruments were preferred when playing an instrument. With regard to the reason for using music, inducing mood change was found to be the biggest reason, followed by seeking enjoyment, comfort, sense of achievement, and sense of belonging. Third, for people with adventitious visual impairments, individual factors, such as gender, level of disability, and period without eyesight, did not reveal any significant differences. Last, participants were found to obtain a higher sense of belonging through music compared to those having low vision. Regarding time without eyesight, it appeared that the shorter the period, the higher the sense of belonging participants had from utilizing music, and vice versa. This study provides fundamental information for organizing an effective music program that can meet the needs and demands of people with adventitious visual impairments.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.243-256
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to perform a content analysis on 62 domestic and international journals from 1998 to 2017, in order to review research trends in music and people with visual impairments. The framework of the content analysis was based on the year of publication, field of journal, research method, type of research, research subject, participants' age, and factors of impairment. The results showed that both domestic and international journals have rapidly increased in the last 10 years, and have expanded into the fields of education and therapy. In the research method, survey research was conducted much more frequently in domestic journals, while both qualitative and experimental research were employed on a roughly even basis in international journals. With respect to the type and subject of research, music perception and recent trends on the subject of musical interest and aptitude took up the majority of domestic journals, while international journals focused on music intervention, music perception and cognition with musical influences and experiences. The participants in both domestic and international journals were children, adolescents and adults, while the elderly were not observed. In the factors of impairment, research on people with total blindness or low vision were conducted frequently, but those with adventitious vision loss or multiple impairments were rarely performed. This study could be meaningful to suggest the direction of further studies, through the investigation of research trends in music and people with visual impairments.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.186-200
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• 2023

This study aims to improve the usability of the white cane, which is walking equipment that most local visually impaired people use and carry when going out, and to contribute to the prevention of safety accidents and the walking rights of visually impaired people by providing improvement and resolution measures for the problems identified. Also, this study is a study on the visually impaired, primarily targeting the 1st to 2nd degree visually impaired people, who cannot go out on their own without walking equipment such as a white cane, corresponding to 20% among approximately 250,000 blind and low vision people in the Korean population. In the study process, the concept has been developed from the user's point of view in order that the white cane becomes a real help in the walking step of the visually impaired and the improvement of usability of the white cane, the main walking equipment for the visually impaired, are done by problem identification through the Double Diamond Model of Design Thinking (Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test (verify)). As a result of the investigation in the process of Empathy, a total of five issues was synthesized, including an increase in the proportion of the visually impaired people, an insufficient workforce situation to help all the visually impaired, an improvement and advancement of assistive devices essential for the visually impaired, problems of damage, illegal occupation, demolition, maintenance about braille blocks, making braille block paradigms for the visually impaired and for everyone. In Ideate and Prototype steps, situations derived from brainstorming were grouped and the relationship were made through the KJ method, and specific situations and major causes were organized to establish the direction of the concept. The derived solutions and major functions are defined in four categories, and representative situations requiring solutions and major functions are organized into two user scenarios. Ideas were visualized by arranging the virtual Persona and Customer Journey Map according to the situation and producing a prototype through 3D modeling. Finally, in the evaluation, the final concept derived is a device such a smart cane for guidance for the visually impaired as ① a smart cane emphasizing portability + ② compatibility with other electronic devices + ③ a product with safety and convenience.