Macular degeneration and visual icon use: deriving guidelines for improved access

The objective of this study was to derive empirical knowledge of the visual search strategies of computer users who suffer from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This was accomplished by recording eye movement during the use of feature-enhanced software. The results from this study show that there are differences between users who have AMD and users who are fully sighted (FS). Detailed analyses confirmed the hypotheses that there would be performance differences between the AMD and FS participants, and that specific features of the interface, namely icon size, background color, and the number of icons on a display, would significantly affect the search strategies of users.