![[2602.18630] Lost in Instructions: Study of Blind Users' Experiences with DIY Manuals and AI-Rewritten Instructions for Assembly, Operation, and Troubleshooting of Tangible Products](https://arxiv.org/static/browse/0.3.4/images/arxiv-logo-fb.png){kind=logo}
[2602.18630] Lost in Instructions: Study of Blind Users' Experiences with DIY Manuals and AI-Rewritten Instructions for Assembly, Operation, and Troubleshooting of Tangible Products
Summary
This study investigates the experiences of blind users with DIY manuals and AI-generated instructions for assembling and troubleshooting products, revealing significant challenges and suggesting improvements.
Why It Matters
As AI tools become increasingly integrated into everyday tasks, understanding their effectiveness for blind users is crucial. This research highlights the inadequacies of current manuals and AI instructions, emphasizing the need for tailored solutions that enhance accessibility and usability for visually impaired individuals.
Key Takeaways
- Blind users rely heavily on product manuals, which often lack clarity and completeness.
- AI tools currently exacerbate issues with DIY instructions rather than alleviate them.
- The study identifies specific areas where AI-generated instructions can be improved for better accessibility.
- Spatial reasoning and structural understanding are critical for blind users in DIY tasks.
- Tailored AI solutions could significantly enhance the DIY experience for visually impaired individuals.
Computer Science > Human-Computer Interaction arXiv:2602.18630 (cs) [Submitted on 20 Feb 2026] Title:Lost in Instructions: Study of Blind Users' Experiences with DIY Manuals and AI-Rewritten Instructions for Assembly, Operation, and Troubleshooting of Tangible Products Authors:Monalika Padma Reddy, Aruna Balasubramanian, Jiawei Zhou, Xiaojun Bi, IV Ramakrishnan, Vikas Ashok View a PDF of the paper titled Lost in Instructions: Study of Blind Users' Experiences with DIY Manuals and AI-Rewritten Instructions for Assembly, Operation, and Troubleshooting of Tangible Products, by Monalika Padma Reddy and 5 other authors View PDF Abstract:AI tools like ChatGPT and Be-My-AI are increasingly being used by blind individuals. Although prior work has explored their use in some Do-It-Yourself (DIY) tasks by blind individuals, little is known about how they use these tools and the available product-manual resources to assemble, operate, and troubleshoot physical or tangible products - tasks requiring spatial reasoning, structural understanding, and precise execution. We address this knowledge gap via an interview study and a usability study with blind participants, investigating how they leverage AI tools and product manuals for DIY tasks with physical products. Findings show that manuals are essential resources, but product-manual instructions are often inadequate for blind users. AI tools presently do not adequately address this insufficiency; in fact, we observed that they often exac...
