Mobility of persons who are blind: How the attentional processes and working memory are involved?
Résumé
Although navigation without vision seems to strongly mobilize the attentional processes and the working memory, few studies seem to be conducted about the link between these processes and the mobility of people who are blind. The main aim of this PhD work is to consider the attentional and working memory capacities of people who are blind and investigate the attentional processes involved during the navigation activity. In the first part of this PhD work, blind participants (early and late) perform a set of cognitive tests specifically designed in auditory modality and their performance is compared with those of matched sighted people. The second experimental part aims to measure the attentional load induced by the walking activity of blind participants, by using a secondary task. In a laboratory setup, blind participants walk along a path with and without obstacles to avoid while they perform a secondary task. This experimentation provides a better understanding of the involvement of the attentional capacities in the compensation for the lack of vision during the walking activity. These two experimental parts lead to an understanding of the links between attentional capacities and efficient navigation in blind pedestrians.