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• Imagine, Interact: Eliciting Accessible Interactions from Users with Motor Impairments via Imagined Input Devices

  Radu-Daniel Vatavu, Ovidiu-Ciprian Ungurean · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper reports an end-user gesture elicitation study with eleven participants with upper-body motor impairments - including spinal cord injury, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's, and traumatic brain injury - who were asked to imagine input devices…

  motor impairment · gesture input · end-user elicitation · imagined devices · ability-based design

• Beyond Accuracy: Auditing Allocative Harms in Facial-Gesture Recognition for People with Motor Impairments

  Siyu Zhang, Yelu Gu, Kirsten Cater, Oussama Metatla · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper challenges the conventional framing of facial-gesture recognition accuracy as a purely technical property, and reframes it as a sensorimotor alignment problem between user intention and algorithmic interpretation. The authors conducted a mixed-methods empirical study…

  facial gesture recognition · motor impairment · algorithmic fairness · allocative harm · accessibility

• Giving Meaning to Movements: Challenges and Opportunities in Expanding Communication by Pairing Unaided AAC with Speech Generated Messages

  Imran Kabir, Sharon Ann Redmon, Lynn R. Elko, Kevin Williams, Mitchell A. Case, Dawn J. Sowers, Krista Wilkinson, Syed Masum Billah · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Kabir and colleagues tackle a long-standing split in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): aided AAC — speech-generating devices, symbol boards, tablet apps — produces standardised, intelligible output but is slow, visually demanding, and awkward when partners are…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · motor impairment · speech impairment · wearable technology

• Modeling Touch Input for Users with Motor Impairments: Empirical Insights into Training Size Requirements

  Radu-Daniel Vatavu, Irina Petrariu, Tudor Horomnea, Ovidiu-Ciprian Ungurean · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  This CHI Extended Abstract addresses a practical question for ability-based design: how many touch observations do you actually need before you can build a user-specific model of someone's touch performance? Most touch modeling work, including Bayesian Touch and the Dual…

  touch input · motor impairment · ability-based design · adaptive interfaces · touchscreen accessibility

• Designing Through Lived Experience: Reflections on Control, Embodiment, and Social Bias in Accessibility Research

  Atieh Taheri, Misha Sra, Patrick Carrington, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2025 · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents an analytic autoethnography of three accessibility research projects led by the first author, Atieh Taheri, a disabled researcher with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) who has used a wheelchair her entire life. Each project emerged from personal need and…

  disability studies · autoethnography · crip technoscience · participatory design · disability justice

• Life as an International Computer Science PhD Student with Cerebral Palsy

  Tianchi Mo, Humphrey Curtis, Timothy Neate · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents a longitudinal autoethnographic study of Tianchi, an international PhD student with cerebral palsy (CP) navigating the final stages of his doctoral journey in Computer Science at Stony Brook University. Born in China in 1990, Tianchi experienced medical…

  cerebral palsy · autoethnography · assistive technology · augmentative and alternative communication · graduate education

• One Does Not Simply 'Mm-hmm': Exploring Backchanneling in the AAC Micro-Culture

  Tobias M Weinberg, Claire O'Connor, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Stephanie Valencia, Thijs Roumen · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper explores how users of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technology engage in backchanneling—the subtle verbal and non-verbal signals (like "uh-huh," nods, and facial expressions) that listeners use to show engagement, signal understanding, and maintain…

  AAC · backchanneling · non-verbal communication · micro-culture · listener feedback

• QC Speller: User Interface Design of a Hands-Free Touch-Free Speller with Brain Electroencephalogram Sensory Rhythm

  Tulika Nama, Debasis Samanta · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents QC Speller, a novel brain-computer interface (BCI) text entry system designed for people with severe motor impairments who cannot use traditional keyboards, mice, or touchscreens. The system uses electroencephalography (EEG) to detect motor imagery…

  brain-computer interface · motor imagery · EEG · text entry · motor impairment

• StepWrite: Adaptive Planning for Speech-Driven Text Generation

  Hamza El Alaoui, Atieh Taheri, Yi-Hao Peng, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2025 · Proceedings of the 38th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '25)

  This paper introduces StepWrite, an LLM-powered voice-based writing system that enables structured, hands-free and eyes-free composition of longer-form texts. While speech-to-text tools handle short dictation well, composing structured emails or detailed responses requires…

  voice interface · speech-to-text · hands-free interaction · eyes-free interaction · large language models

• Painting with Cameras and Drawing with Text: AI Use in Accessible Creativity

  Cynthia L. Bennett, Renee Shelby, Negar Rostamzadeh, Shaun K. Kane · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper explores how disabled creatives intentionally use and choose not to use generative AI (GAI) tools in their artistic practices. Through interviews with 10 creatives with disabilities — whose work spans audio engineering, leathercraft, visual art, photography, music…

  generative AI · creativity · disability · responsible AI · access hacks

• I tried everything. Nothing works: Challenges and Creative Processes from Digital Artists with Upper Limb Motor Impairments

  Rodolfo Cossovich, Shanel Wu, Audrey Girouard · 2024 · ASSETS 2024: 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This study investigates the complex relationship between accessibility challenges and creative processes for digital artists with upper limb motor impairments. Through 15 semi-structured interviews with artists who regularly use graphic input devices (mice, digital pads,…

  motor impairment · digital art · creative processes · graphic input devices · disability art

• MouseClicker: Exploring Tactile Feedback and Physical Agency for People with Hand Motor Impairments

  Atieh Taheri, Carlos Gilberto Gomez-Monroy, Vicente Borja, Misha Sra · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces MouseClicker, a mechatronic assistive device that enables people with severe hand motor impairments to control a physical computer mouse using facial expressions while receiving tactile feedback that simulates the sensation of clicking. The work challenges…

  motor impairment · haptic feedback · vibrotactile feedback · facial expression input · computer mouse

• Exploring the Strategies People with Parkinson's Disease Use to Self-track Symptoms and Medications

  Charlotte Tang, Imrul K. Shuva, Matthew Thelen, Linda Zhu, Nathaniel S. Miller · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This qualitative study investigates how people with Parkinson's Disease (PwPD) track their symptoms, medications, and physical activities, with the goal of informing inclusive design of self-tracking technologies. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 26…

  Parkinson's disease · self-tracking · chronic illness · health technology · inclusive design

• A Usability Study of Nomon: A Flexible Interface for Single-Switch Users

  Nicholas Bonaker, Emli-Mari Nel, Keith Vertanen, Tamara Broderick · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper presents the first usability study of Nomon — an alternative single-switch interface — with actual motor-impaired users, comparing it against the widely used row-column scanning (RCS) method. Single-switch interfaces are essential communication tools for people with…

  single switch · augmentative and alternative communication · motor impairment · text entry · scanning

• Co-designing new keyboard and mouse solutions with people living with motor impairments

  Rodolfo Cossovich, Steve Hodges, Jin Kang, Audrey Girouard · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This short paper describes a co-design process for developing accessible alternatives to traditional keyboard and mouse interfaces, conducted in collaboration with people living with motor impairments. The study involved three phases: an initial survey of 42 people with physical…

  co-design · motor impairment · input devices · rapid prototyping · keyboard

• Accuracy and Reliability of At-Home Quantification of Motor Impairments Using a Computer-Based Pointing Task with Children with Ataxia-Telangiectasia

  Vineet Pandey, Nergis C. Khan, Anoopum S. Gupta, Krzysztof Z. Gajos · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper validates at-home, unsupervised use of Hevelius, a web-based active digital phenotyping system that quantifies motor impairment in the dominant arm through mouse pointing tasks. The study addresses a critical gap: while prior research showed that crowdsourced…

  motor impairment · digital phenotyping · remote assessment · ataxia · pointing tasks

• Personalized Wearable Interactions with WearSkill

  Ovidiu-Andrei Schipor, Laura-Bianca Bilius, Ovidiu-Ciprian Ungurean, Alexandru-Ionut Siean, Alexandru-Tudor Andrei, Radu-Daniel Vatavu · 2022 · Proceedings of the 19th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents WearSkill, a web-based middleware application that enables people with upper-body motor impairments to control connected smart home devices through personalised wearable interactions. The system addresses a significant gap: most wearable devices…

  wearable technology · motor impairment · personalization · smart home · gesture input

• Freedom to Choose: Understanding Input Modality Preferences of People with Upper-body Motor Impairments for Activities of Daily Living

  Franklin Mingzhe Li, Michael Xieyang Liu, Yang Zhang, Patrick Carrington · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates how people with upper-body motor impairments currently perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and what input modalities they would prefer for technology-assisted independence. ADLs encompass basic tasks like bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and…

  motor impairment · multimodal input · activities of daily living · assistive technology · personal care assistants

• Two-In-One: A Design Space for Mapping Unimanual Input into Bimanual Interactions in VR for Users with Limited Movement

  Momona Yamagami, Sasa Junuzovic, Mar Gonzalez-Franco, Eyal Ofek, Edward Cutrell, John R. Porter, Andrew D. Wilson, Martez E. Mott · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper addresses a significant accessibility barrier in virtual reality: the requirement to use two motion controllers simultaneously for bimanual interactions. Many VR applications assume users can hold and manipulate two controllers, excluding people who have use of only…

  virtual reality · VR accessibility · motor impairment · input techniques · bimanual interaction

• Input Accessibility: A Large Dataset and Summary Analysis of Age, Motor Ability and Input Performance

  Leah Findlater, Lotus Zhang · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This University of Washington study makes two key contributions to understanding how age and motor ability affect computer input performance: a large open dataset of mouse and touchscreen input traces from over 700 participants, and a summary analysis of mouse input data from…

  motor impairment · mouse input · touchscreen · older adults · physical accessibility

• Computer Vision-based Methodology to Support AAC

  Rúbia Eliza de Oliveira Schultz Ascari, Roberto Pereira, Luciano Silva · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a methodology for supporting augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) through personalized gestural interaction using computer vision and machine learning. The authors developed the PGCA (Personal Gesture Communication Assistant) system, which enables…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · computer vision · machine learning · gesture recognition

• Demo: Expanding Blocks4All with Variables and Functions

  Jacqueline Shao Yi Ong, Nana Adwoa O. Amoah, Alison E. Garrett-Engele, Mariella Irene Page, Katherine R. McCarthy, Lauren R. Milne · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This demonstration paper describes extensions to Blocks4All, an accessible blocks-based programming environment (BBPE) for iPad designed to enable children with visual impairments to learn programming through touchscreen interaction with screen reader support. Traditional BBPEs…

  programming education · blind · low vision · visual impairment · screen readers

• Vocal Programming for People with Upper-Body Motor Impairments

  Lucas Rosenblatt, Patrick Carrington, Kotaro Hara, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018)

  This paper presents VocalIDE, a prototype voice-based integrated development environment (IDE) designed to enable people with upper-body motor impairments to write and edit computer code using speech commands rather than a keyboard. Only 4% of professional programmers have…

  speech recognition · motor impairment · cerebral palsy · spinal cord injury · programming education

• Designing an Adaptive Web Navigation Interface for Users with Variable Pointing Performance

  Aqueasha Martin-Hammond, Foad Hamidi, Tejas Bhalerao, Christian Ortega, Abdullah Ali, Catherine Hornback, Casey Means, Amy Hurst · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates how to design adaptive web navigation interfaces for people who experience variable pointing ability — difficulty using a mouse to click targets on screen that fluctuates over time due to conditions like early-stage Parkinson's disease, age-related…

  adaptive user interface · motor impairment · pointing · assistive technology · web navigation

• Simulation of Motor Impairment in Head-Controlled Pointer Fitts' Law Task

  Syed Asad Rizvi, Ella Tuson, Breanna Desrochers, John Magee · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This poster paper proposes simulating motor impairments in a head-controlled mouse pointer system (Camera Mouse) to address the challenge that participants with motor impairments are not always available for accessibility research or software development testing. The Camera…

  motor impairment · simulation · head tracking · alternative input · Fitts' law