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• Reclaiming VR Design Authority: Deaf Signers Shaping Immersive Classrooms

  Shuxu Huffman, Laura South, Matthew James Buckman, Raja Kushalnagar, Francisco Raul Ortega, Abraham Glasser · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper reports a Deaf-led, ASL-first study of a VR classroom prototype designed to reduce the persistent "visual attention split" that Deaf students experience in remote and online classrooms, where gaze must constantly shuttle between a signing instructor and instructional…

  deaf and hard of hearing · deaf tech · virtual reality · visual attention split · american sign language

• "I can't just Google it": Technology Needs of Adult Braille Learners

  Quan Zhou · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This extended abstract investigates the overlooked challenges and technology needs of sighted adults who learn braille, specifically Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) and parents of blind children. While substantial research exists on braille learning for blind…

  braille literacy · visual impairment · education · teachers of students with visual impairments · adult learning

• Generative AI for Teachers with Vision Impairments in the Global South: A Bridge Too Far?

  Manohar Swaminathan, Tarini Naik · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This mixed-methods study examines the readiness and capacity of teachers with vision impairments (TVIs) in India to leverage generative AI technologies in their teaching practice. The research combines in-depth interviews with 15 TVIs from 10 schools in Karnataka and a…

  generative AI · vision impairment · education · Global South · India

• NoTeeline: Supporting Real-Time, Personalized Notetaking with LLM-Enhanced Micronotes

  Faria Huq, Abdus Samee, David Chuan-En Lin, Alice Xiaodi Tang, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2025 · Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI '25)

  This paper introduces NoTeeline, an interactive notetaking tool that uses LLMs to expand user-written "micronotes" — brief shorthand jottings like "plastic pol. ->" or "RNNs are unrolled l to r or opp" — into full-fledged notes that maintain the user's personal writing style.…

  large language models · writing assistance · personalization · notetaking · cognitive load

• Inclusion as a Process: Co-Designing an Inclusive Robotic Game with Neurodiverse Classrooms

  Patricia Piedade, Isabel Neto, Ana Cristina Pires, Rui Prada, Hugo Nicolau · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper documents a seven-month co-design process in which researchers worked with 80 children (18 of whom were neurodivergent) across four neurodiverse classrooms in Lisbon, Portugal, to design an inclusive tabletop robotic game. The children, aged 6 to 12, included those…

  neurodiversity · children · co-design · inclusive play · robotics

• Towards Designing Digital Learning Tools for Students with Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairments: Leveraging Insights from Teachers of the Visually Impaired

  Adele Smolansky, Miranda Yang, Shiri Azenkot · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper investigates how digital learning tools should be designed to support students with cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI), a neurological condition that affects the brain's ability to process visual information rather than the eyes themselves. CVI is now the most…

  cortical visual impairment · education · digital learning tools · visual impairment · assistive technology

• Beadwork Bridge: Understanding and Exploring the Opportunities of Beadwork in Enriching School Education for Blind and Low Vision (BLV) People

  Shumeng Zhang, Weiyue Lin, Zisu Li, Ruiqi Jiang, Chen Liang, Mingming Fan, Raul Masu · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how beadwork — the craft of creating patterns and objects by threading beads onto wire, string, or thread — serves as a rich educational tool for blind and low-vision (BLV) students, and explores what the HCI field can learn from these established…

  blind and low vision · education · beadwork · tactile learning · embodied cognition

• Using Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Sign Language Recognition: Towards a system that provides instant feedback to learners of sign language

  Rami Aldahir, Ronald R. Grau · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This short paper presents a prototype system that uses computer vision and a convolutional neural network (CNN) to recognize finger-spelled letters in British Sign Language (BSL), providing real-time feedback to learners. The system addresses a gap in sign language instruction:…

  sign language · British Sign Language · computer vision · deep learning · fingerspelling

• Understanding Challenges and Opportunities in Body Movement Education of People who are Blind or have Low Vision

  Madhuka De Silva, Sarah Goodwin, Leona Holloway, Matthew Butler · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper provides a comprehensive investigation of the challenges and opportunities in teaching body movement — including dance, sports, martial arts, yoga, and fitness — to people who are blind or have low vision (BLV). The researchers conducted a three-phase study:…

  blind and low vision · body movement · education · dance · sports

• The story behind Dytective: how we brought research results on dyslexia and accessibility to Spanish public schools

  Luz Rello · 2022 · Proceedings of the 19th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This invited talk paper presents the decade-long research and entrepreneurial journey behind Dytective, a platform that combines machine learning and gamified exercises to detect risk of dyslexia and provide personalized interventions. Dyslexia affects up to 10% of the global…

  dyslexia · machine learning · screening · serious games · social entrepreneurship

• Creating 3D Printed Assistive Technology Through Design Shortcuts: Leveraging Digital Fabrication Services to Incorporate 3D Printing into the Physical Therapy Classroom

  Erin Higgins, William Berkley Easley, Karen L. Gordes, Amy Hurst, Foad Hamidi · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper investigates how to integrate 3D printing into physical therapy (PT) education without requiring PT students to become experts in CAD or digital fabrication. Previous research showed that while 3D printing has great potential for creating customized assistive…

  3D printing · assistive technology · digital fabrication · physical therapy · education

• Animations at Your Fingertips: Using a Refreshable Tactile Display to Convey Motion Graphics for People who are Blind or have Low Vision

  Leona Holloway, Swamy Ananthanarayan, Matthew Butler, Madhuka Thisuri De Silva, Kirsten Ellis, Cagatay Goncu, Kate Stephens, Kim Marriott · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates the potential of refreshable tactile displays (RTDs) to convey animated graphics to people who are blind or have low vision — a capability that has been virtually impossible with traditional static tactile media. While tactile graphics produced on swell…

  tactile graphics · refreshable tactile display · blind users · low vision · animation

• Designing a Customizable Picture-Based Augmented Reality Application For Therapists and Educational Professionals Working in Autistic Contexts

  Tooba Ahsen, Christina Yu, Amanda O'Brien, Ralf W. Schlosser, Howard C. Shane, Dylan Oesch-Emmel, Eileen T. Crehan, Fahad Dogar · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents CustomAR, a mobile augmented reality application designed to allow therapists and educational professionals to create and customize picture-based AR experiences for use in autism-related learning activities. The work addresses a critical gap: while prior…

  augmented reality · autism · visual supports · customization · therapy

• ASL Wiki: An Exploratory Interface for Crowdsourcing ASL Translations

  Abraham Glasser, Fyodor Minakov, Danielle Bragg · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents ASL Wiki, a novel bilingual web interface that enables the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing (DHH) community to crowdsource English-to-American Sign Language (ASL) translations of text articles. The system addresses two interconnected problems: the severe lack of…

  sign language · ASL · Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing · crowdsourcing · bilingual interface

• Tactile Materials in Practice: Understanding the Experiences of Teachers of the Visually Impaired

  Mahika Phutane, Julie Wright, Brenda Veronica Castro, Lei Shi, Simone R. Stern, Holly M. Lawson, Shiri Azenkot · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research investigates how Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) create, acquire, and use tactile materials—tactile graphics, 3D models, and real objects—in their educational practice. Despite growing research interest in tactile material creation technologies, there has…

  visual impairment · blindness · tactile graphics · 3D models · education

• SoundLines: Exploration of Line Segments through Sonification and Multi-touch Interaction

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, Sergio Mascetti · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents SoundLines, a mobile application designed to help children with visual impairments explore and understand line segments on a touchscreen using sonification and multi-touch interaction. The system addresses a fundamental challenge in early education for blind…

  sonification · visual impairments · children · touchscreen accessibility · multi-touch interaction

• Establishing a Serious Game on Relationship Boundaries for People with Developmental Disabilities

  Samantha Conde · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This short paper presents "Boundaries," a serious game designed to help adults with developmental disabilities explore and discuss personal relationship boundaries — a topic motivated by alarming statistics on sexual violence against this population. People with developmental…

  developmental disability · serious games · safeguarding · sexuality · cognitive accessibility

• "I can't name it, but I can perceive it" Conceptual and Operational Design of "Tactile Accuracy" Assisting Tactile Image Cognition

  Jiangtao Gong, Wenyuan Yu, Long Ni, Yang Jiao, Ye Liu, Xiaolan Fu, Yingqing Xu · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper introduces "tactile accuracy," a new evaluation criterion for measuring how well blind people recognize objects in raised-line tactile images, replacing the conventional "naming accuracy" borrowed from visual image recognition research. The fundamental problem is that…

  visual accessibility · tactile graphics · blindness and low vision · tactile accessibility · cognition

• WordMelodies: Supporting Children with Visual Impairment in Learning Literacy

  Sergio Mascetti, Giovanni Leontini, Cristian Bernareggi, Dragan Ahmetovic · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This demonstration paper presents WordMelodies, an inclusive cross-platform mobile application designed to support children with visual impairments in acquiring basic literacy skills. The app provides eight different exercises targeting foundational reading and writing…

  visual impairment · children · literacy · education · mobile application

• Making the Blockly Library Accessible via Touchscreen

  Logan B. Caraco, Sebastian Deibel, Yufan Ma, Lauren R. Milne · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This demonstration paper presents two prototype designs for making Google's Blockly library — the foundation underlying popular block-based programming environments (BBPEs) like Scratch, MIT App Inventor, and the Code.org curriculum — accessible to users with visual impairments…

  visual impairment · block-based programming · education · screen readers · ARIA

• RoboGraphics: Dynamic Tactile Graphics Powered by Mobile Robots

  Darren Guinness, Annika Muehlbradt, Daniel Szafir, Shaun K. Kane · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper introduces RoboGraphics, a novel approach to creating dynamic tactile graphics by combining a touchscreen tablet, static laser-cut tactile overlays, and small mobile robots (Ozobot Bit 2.0, approximately one cubic inch, ~$60 each). Traditional tactile graphics are…

  tactile graphics · robotics · blind · tangible interaction · data visualization

• BrailleBlocks: Braille Toys for Cross-Ability Collaboration

  Vinitha Gadiraju · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This student research abstract presents BrailleBlocks, a tangible learning system designed to help blind or visually impaired children learn Braille collaboratively with their sighted parents. Braille literacy in the United States is critically low — less than 10% of blind…

  braille · blind · education · children · tangible interaction

• Jellys: Towards a Videogame that Trains Rhythm and Visual Attention for Dyslexia

  Mikel Ostiz-Blanco, Marie Lallier, Sergi Grau, Luz Rello, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Manuel Carreiras · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018)

  This demo paper describes Jellys, a video game designed to train two cognitive components linked to reading development — auditory rhythm perception and visual attention — as an intervention for children with dyslexia. The research is grounded in evidence that the cognitive…

  dyslexia · serious games · game accessibility · reading accessibility · visual attention

• MathMelodies 2: a Mobile Assistive Application for People with Visual Impairments Developed with React Native

  Niccolò Cantù, Mattia Ducci, Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, Sergio Mascetti · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018)

  This demo paper from the University of Milan and University of Turin reports on MathMelodies 2, a cross-platform math education app for blind and visually impaired (BVI) children in grades 1-5, developed using React Native. The original MathMelodies was iPad-only, developed in…

  blindness · low vision · mathematical accessibility · education · children

• A Demo of Talkit++: Interacting with 3D Printed Models Using an iOS Device

  Lei Shi, Zhuohao Zhang, Shiri Azenkot · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018)

  This Cornell Tech demo presents Talkit++, an iOS application that adds interactive multimedia labels to 3D printed tactile models for visually impaired students. Teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) increasingly use 3D printers to create tactile learning materials, but these…

  blindness · low vision · 3D printing · tactile accessibility · computer vision