Counting Carbohydrates for the Blind: An Online Instructional Design

Educating individuals to self-manage their diet is a key component to preventing and managing Type 2 Diabetes, which has been a growing health concern for more than a decade. A part of that education is learning how to count carbohydrates. While there are face-to-face classes or online resources that provide information about counting carbohydrates, these may not be accessible or the content may not apply to someone who is blind or visually impaired. Therefore, the purpose of this research study was to create and evaluate the effectiveness of an accessible online instructional module to teach carbohydrate counting to blind adults who may be at risk of developing or those who have already developed Type 2 Diabetes. The module was created in Canvas to simplify the navigation and was influenced by the Cognitive Load Theory. A total of eight screen reader users participated in the study. Data collected via tests and surveys were analyzed and reported using descriptive statistics. The pre- and post-tests showed an overall improvement. Additionally, the positive feedback from the post-survey indicated that participants felt they had learned an important skill.