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• Sound, Touch, or the Full Monty? A Comparative Study of Accessible Data Exploration Systems for Blind Users

  Pramod Chundury, J. Bern Jordan, Yasmin Reyazuddin, Niklas Elmqvist, Jonathan Lazar · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a controlled within-subject comparative study of three accessible data exploration systems representing different sensory modalities: Olli (a screen-reader-based system using hierarchical text descriptions and keyboard navigation), TactualPlot (a tablet-based…

  data visualization · sonification · tactile graphics · refreshable braille display · multimodal accessibility

• Towards Testing the Accessibility of Dynamic Visual Changes in Android Mobile GUI with Multi-Modal LLMs

  Mengxi Zhang, Jianlin Yu, Chen Xu, Jiqun Li, Xinglong Yin, Huaxiao Liu · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

  This paper addresses a long-standing gap in mobile accessibility testing: dynamic visual changes in Android GUIs that communicate task status or feedback to sighted users but are invisible to blind users of screen readers such as TalkBack. Examples include an input field…

  Android · mobile accessibility · screen readers · TalkBack · automated testing

• Finding the Signal in the Noise: An Exploratory Study on Assessing the Effectiveness of AI and Accessibility Forums for Blind Users' Support Needs

  Satwik Ram Kodandaram, Jiawei Zhou, Xiaojun Bi, IV Ramakrishnan, Vikas Ashok · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This exploratory interview study with 14 blind screen-reader users examines how they use accessibility-focused online forums (JFW, NVDA groups, AppleVis, r/Blind) and generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) to troubleshoot computer-interaction problems, learn new assistive…

  blind users · screen readers · accessibility forums · generative AI · ChatGPT

• Say It My Way: Exploring Control in Conversational Visual Question Answering with Blind Users

  Farnaz Zamiri Zeraati, Yang Cao, Yuehan Qiao, Hal Daumé III, Hernisa Kacorri · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates how blind users can exert control over responses generated by conversational visual question answering (VQA) systems built on vision-language models. While prompting and steering techniques are well established in general-purpose generative AI,…

  blind users · generative AI · visual question answering · VQA · personalization

• Crippin' WhatsApp's Interaction Design: Learnings from the blind/visually impaired users of India

  Hrittika Bhowmick, Atharva Shrivastava, Sandeep Ysp, Shilpaa Anand, Dipanjan Chakraborty · 2025 · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2025)

  This paper examines how blind and visually impaired users in India navigate WhatsApp, using critical disability studies and Roland Barthes' concept of myth to argue that WhatsApp's design naturalizes visual interaction as universal while marginalizing auditory, haptic, and…

  screen readers · blind users · social media accessibility · Global South accessibility · critical disability studies

• GestureVoice: Enabling Multimodal Text Editing for Blind Users Using Gestures and Voice

  Prerna Khanna, Sai Pravallika Reddy, IV Ramakrishnan, Xiaojun Bi, Aruna Balasubramanian · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper introduces GestureVoice, a multimodal text editing system that enables blind smartphone users to edit text using mid-air hand gestures detected by a smartwatch combined with voice commands, eliminating the need for touchscreen interaction. The research addresses a…

  text editing · blind users · multimodal interaction · gesture recognition · voice commands

• Trying to Piece It Together: Exploring Accessible Error Detection in Emerging Privacy Techniques With Blind People

  Rahaf Alharbi, Angela D Cheong, Jaylin Herskovitz, Robin N. Brewer, Sarita Schoenebeck · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how blind people might detect errors in AI-enabled privacy techniques (obfuscation) used within visual assistance technologies (VAT). Blind people routinely use VAT apps like Seeing AI, Be My Eyes, Aira, and TapTapSee to access visual information, but…

  visual assistance technologies · privacy · obfuscation · AI error detection · assessment descriptors

• QuickQue: Enabling Quick Access to Information in User Reviews for Screen Reader Users

  Mohan Sunkara, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Sandeep Kalari, Yash Prakash, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A 2025)

  This paper presents QuickCue, a Google Chrome browser extension that helps blind screen reader users efficiently access online customer reviews by using LLM-powered aspect and sentiment classification to organize and summarize review content. The current experience of reading…

  screen readers · blind users · online reviews · large language models · browser extension

• Adapting Online Customer Reviews for Blind Users: A Case Study of Restaurant Reviews

  Mohan Sunkara, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Sandeep Kalari, Yash Prakash, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses the significant usability challenges blind screen reader users face when navigating online customer reviews, using restaurant reviews on Google Maps as a case study. The research proceeds in two phases. First, an interview study with 30 blind screen reader…

  screen readers · blind users · online reviews · LLM accessibility · content summarization

• AccessMenu: Enhancing Usability of Online Restaurant Menus for Screen Reader Users

  Nithiya Venkatraman, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Suyog Dahal, Yash Prakash, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses the significant accessibility barriers that blind and visually impaired (BVI) screen reader users face when trying to access online restaurant menus, which are typically presented as images or PDFs. The research proceeds in two phases. First, an interview…

  screen readers · blind users · visual document understanding · LLM accessibility · multimodal AI

• Increasing Agency of Screen-Reader Users in Consuming Information From Online Data Visualizations

  Ather Sharif, Andrew Zhang, Jacob Wobbrock · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses a fundamental equity problem in data visualization accessibility: screen-reader users are limited to consuming only the information that visualization creators choose to provide, with no agency to customize what they hear. Prior research shows screen-reader…

  data visualization accessibility · screen readers · user agency · sonification · alt text

• FormA11y — Research and Development of a Tool for Remediating PDF Forms for Accessibility

  Sparsh Paliwal, Joshua Hoeflich, J. Bern Jordan, Rajiv Jain, Vlad I. Morariu, Alexa Siu, Jonathan Lazar · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, Vol. 32, No. 1

  Paliwal and colleagues — a team spanning the University of Maryland's Maryland Initiative for Digital Accessibility (MIDA), Northwestern, and Adobe Research — tackle a problem that has been largely overlooked in PDF accessibility research: the remediation of interactive *PDF…

  PDF accessibility · PDF forms · PDF/UA · document accessibility · remediation tools

• Misfitting With AI: How Blind People Verify and Contest AI Errors

  Rahaf Alharbi, Pa Lor, Jaylin Herskovitz, Sarita Schoenebeck, Robin N. Brewer · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents an in-depth qualitative study with 26 blind participants examining how they encounter, verify, and contest errors produced by AI-enabled visual assistance technologies (AI VAT) such as Seeing AI, Be My Eyes, and ChatGPT. While blind people increasingly rely…

  blind users · artificial intelligence · visual assistance technology · explainable AI · AI errors

• Information Wayfinding of Screen Reader Users: Five Personas to Expand Conceptualizations of User Experiences

  J. Bern Jordan, Victoria Van Hyning, Mason A. Jones, Rachael Bradley Montgomery, Elizabeth Bottner, Evan Tansil · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents five user personas representing the diverse range of screen reader experiences, developed from observations across several studies with blind screen reader users. The authors challenge the common assumption in research and development that screen reader users…

  screen readers · blind users · personas · user experience · information wayfinding

• Understanding How Blind Users Handle Object Recognition Errors: Strategies and Challenges

  Jonggi Hong, Hernisa Kacorri · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how blind and low-vision users interact with object recognition systems, specifically focusing on how they identify and handle recognition errors. While object recognition technologies powered by computer vision and machine learning have enormous…

  blind users · object recognition · AI errors · computer vision · camera-based assistive technology

• The Promise and Pitfalls of Web Accessibility Overlays for Blind and Low Vision Users

  Tlamelo Makati, Garreth W. Tigwell, Kristen Shinohara · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This study provides the first substantial empirical evidence from blind and low-vision users about their experiences with web accessibility overlays—third-party JavaScript tools that claim to enhance website usability for people with disabilities by adding an additional…

  web accessibility · accessibility overlays · screen readers · blind users · low vision

• ImageExplorer Deployment: Understanding Text-Based and Touch-Based Image Exploration in the Wild

  Ruolin Xu, Yuxuan Cai, Shuying Hou, Yu-Jung Chang, Anhong Guo · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the real-world deployment and evaluation of ImageExplorer, an iOS application that enables blind and low-vision users to explore images through two complementary modalities: text-based sequential exploration and touch-based spatial exploration. The app was…

  image accessibility · screen readers · touch exploration · blind users · image description

• "Dump it, Destroy it, Send it to Data Heaven": Blind People's Expectations for Visual Privacy in Visual Assistance Technologies

  Abigale Stangl, Emma Sadjo, Pardis Emami-Naeini, Yang Wang, Danna Gurari, Leah Findlater · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates the visual privacy expectations of 16 totally blind individuals who use visual assistance technologies (VATs) such as Aira, Be My Eyes, Seeing AI, and Envision AI. VATs provide blind users access to visual information by connecting them to remote human…

  visual privacy · blind users · visual assistance technology · privacy expectations · data protection

• Amaze3D: Making 3D Worlds Accessible to Blind Gamers

  Greg Gay, Matthew Ralston · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents Amaze3D (The Accessibility Maze 3D), a proof-of-concept demonstrating that Unity-based 3D game worlds can be made independently navigable by blind players. Built as a WebGL-based 3D adaptation of an earlier 2D JavaScript Accessibility Maze, the…

  game accessibility · blind users · Unity · 3D worlds · educational games

• Understanding the Usages, Lifecycle, and Opportunities of Screen Readers' Plugins

  Farhani Momotaz, Md Ehtesham-Ul-Haque, Syed Masum Billah · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates why blind users rely on screen reader plugins and how these plugins are developed, distributed, and maintained. The researchers combined two methodological approaches: semi-structured interviews with 14 blind participants (ages 24-52, expert to beginner…

  screen readers · NVDA · JAWS · plugins · extensions

• AccessComics2: Understanding the User Experience of an Accessible Comic Book Reader for Blind People with Textual Sound Effects

  Yun Jung Lee, Hwayeon Joh, Suhyeon Yoo, Uran Oh · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research investigates how to make digital comic books accessible to people with visual impairments through AccessComics, a web-based comic reader that provides scene descriptions, synthesized character voices, and sound effects. The study addresses a gap in accessibility…

  comics · audiobooks · eBooks · screen readers · blind users

• Mathematical Content Browsing for Print-disabled Readers Based on Virtual-world Exploration and Audio-visual Sensory Substitution

  Rynhardt Kruger, Febe De Wet, Thomas Niesler · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research addresses a critical accessibility gap: mathematical equations in PDF documents are largely inaccessible to blind and visually impaired readers. While standards like MathML exist for encoding accessible mathematics, most scientific and technical papers are…

  mathematical accessibility · sensory substitution · PDF accessibility · blind users · sonification

• Tangible Progress: Tools, Techniques, and Impacts of Teaching Web Development to Screen Reader Users

  Claire Ferrari, Devorah Kletenik, Kate Sonka, Amy Hurst · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents the design, implementation, and longitudinal evaluation of a free, remote web development workshop specifically designed for screen reader users. The nine-week workshop, delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, taught HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to 12 blind…

  web development education · screen readers · tactile diagrams · blind users · service learning

• Video Conferencing Tools: Comparative Study of the Experiences of Screen Reader Users and the Development of More Inclusive Design Guidelines

  Barbara Leporini, Marina Buzzi, Marion Hersh · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive study investigates the accessibility and usability of three major video conferencing platforms—Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams—for blind and visually impaired people using screen readers. Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic when video conferencing…

  video conferencing · screen readers · blind users · Zoom · Microsoft Teams

• When Headers Are Not There: Design and User Evaluation of an Automatic Topicalisation and Labelling Tool to Aid the Exploration of Web Documents by Blind Users

  Jorge Sassaki Resende Silva, André Pimenta Freire, Paula Christina Figueira Cardoso · 2022 · Proceedings of the 19th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2022)

  This paper addresses a fundamental problem for blind screen reader users: what happens when web documents lack proper heading markup, eliminating one of the primary navigation strategies available to them. The researchers designed and evaluated a tool that uses Natural Language…

  screen readers · headings · natural language processing · text segmentation · blind users