Reading without bounds: How different magnification methods affect the performance of students with low vision

Computer users with low vision must use additional methods to enlarge content in order to perceive content comfortably. One common method is a screen magnifier, which typically requires horizontal scrolling. Another method is through the web browser zoom controls, and with the coding technique, responsive web design (RWD), content remains within the browser window as it is enlarged. The purpose of the present study was to assess how the different magnification methods affect reading comprehension and visual fatigue of people with low vision when reading on a computer screen. After reading on a screen magnifier for about an hour, participants tended to report higher levels of nausea. Younger participants also completed the second half of reading passages quicker than the first with this method. This finding was likely due to a strong aversion for using a screen magnifier for extended periods of time due to the need to horizontally scroll