Troublesome Objects: Unpacking Ocular-Centrism in Urban Environments by Studying Blind Navigation Using Video Ethnography and Ethnomethodology

Abstract

This article reports on research into the navigational practices of blind and visually impaired people in urban environments. The members of this community encounter many types of obstacles, but this article focuses on ‘unpredictable inanimate moveable objects’. The analyses are based on recorded video material from ‘naturally occurring’ walks in a Danish urban area and are informed by ethnomethodology, with a focus on how blind or visually impaired people navigate and deal with trouble sources. This research unpacks the detailed features of navigation and obstacle-detection in the urban environment and demonstrates the value of using ethnomethodology to analyze the skilled character of everyday navigation in spaces in which the walker-with-cane is a kind of assemblage in harmony or at odds with other surfaces and objects. The findings have implications for space design and technology developments which can assist blind people with obstacle detection. The article uses empirical cases to discuss an ocular-centric bias and suggests the need for a more granular understanding of physical objects and tactile experiences in future developments of a sociology of space.