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• Accessibility Education for Software Engineers: Evaluating the Impact of Game-Based Learning

  P D Parthasarathy, Swaroop Joshi · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Computing Education

  Parthasarathy and Joshi address a persistent industry problem: despite 25 years of WCAG, only 5.2% of top web homepages fully conform, and organizations consistently report that staff lack accessibility skills. Academic curricula are slowly integrating accessibility, but…

  accessibility education · game-based learning · serious games · WCAG · software engineering

• AccessQuest: A Game-Based Approach to Digital Accessibility Education

  P D Parthasarathy, Swaroop Joshi · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Computing Education

  Parthasarathy and Joshi present AccessQuest, a single-player, role-playing platformer that teaches five WCAG 2.1 Level A success criteria — text alternatives (1.1.1), captions for pre-recorded content (1.2.2), transcripts for audio-only content (1.2.1), focus order (2.4.3), and…

  accessibility education · game-based learning · serious games · WCAG · computing education

• Towards Understanding the Effect of Serious Games on Attention, Adherence, and Behavior for Children with ADHD

  Jonathan Wang Liu, Mahmood Jasim, Jeong-Heon Song, So-Hwi Ha, Jun-Su Kim, Dayoung Kim, Hyunsuk Lee, Byeong Il Kim, Hee-Tae Jung · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

  This paper investigates how serious games designed to help children with ADHD impact their attention, adherence, and daily behaviour in real-world home settings. Conducted in two stages, the study first involved nine educators working with children in clinical ADHD settings,…

  ADHD · serious games · digital therapeutics · children · attention

• "It Depends": Re-Authoring Play Through Clinical Reasoning in Wearable AR Rehab Games

  Binyan Xu, Wei Wu, Soonhyeon Kweon, Casper Harteveld, Leanne Chukoskie · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper examines how lightweight, glasses-form-factor augmented reality (AR) rehabilitation games can be translated from laboratory prototypes into everyday physical therapy (PT) practice. The authors argue that most AR rehab research has stalled in controlled…

  augmented reality · rehabilitation · physical therapy · clinical reasoning · embodied interaction

• ATTENPlay: A Game-Based Attention Network Test for Autistic Children

  Yuying Wan, Xin Tong, Kaishun Wu · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper addresses a long-standing methodological problem in autism research: the Attention Network Test (ANT) — the standard computerized tool for measuring alerting, orienting, and executive-control attention networks — is abstract, repetitive, and built for…

  autism · autism spectrum disorder · attention network test · cognitive assessment · game-based assessment

• Beyond Prompt-Following: Empowering Social Agency in Autistic Children through Narrative Framing

  Min Zhou, Xinheng Song, Xiaolan Peng, Mingxuan Jin, Soumya C. Barathi · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  NarraSocial is a Unity-based virtual environment for autistic children aged 6–10 that reframes social-skills interventions away from the prompt-and-response loop characteristic of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and most VR-based social skills training. The authors observed…

  autism · autistic children · social agency · narrative design · virtual environment

• Demonstrating InteractiSense: An Interactive Tool for Supporting Social Engagement for Children with ASD

  Won Kim, Chaeyeon Lim, Minwoo Seong, Kangbeen Ko, SeungJun Kim · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  InteractiSense is a sensing-integrated tangible prototype paired with a cooperative serious game called Treasure Hunters, designed to support social engagement for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The authors argue that ASD-related differences in cognitive, motor,…

  autism spectrum disorder · children with ASD · social engagement · serious games · tangible interaction

• Color-Coded Emotional Learning Serious Games for Children with Autism: Foregrounding Facial Expression Recognition & Accessibility

  Tahani Jaser Alahmadi, Haifa Albahli, Modhi Alqahtani, Hind Bin Mehaya, Imtinan Alqahtani, Joory Alotaibi · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This technical note presents Muheet, a mobile application that uses color-emotion associations and AI-based facial expression recognition to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) understand and recognize emotions. ASD affects approximately 1.5-2% of the global…

  autism · emotional learning · serious games · facial expression recognition · machine learning

• The Treatment of Amblyopia and Astigmatism through Eye Tracking and Serious Games

  Tahani Jaser Alahmadi, Rania AlAblani, Najla Bin Eid, Reyoof AlHumaidi, Amal AlMeiman, Farah AlNujaidi · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This paper presents Abs'arnna, a mobile application that combines serious games with eye-tracking technology to treat amblyopia (lazy eye) and astigmatism in children. The authors from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia address a significant gap in…

  serious games · eye tracking · vision therapy · assistive technology · pediatric accessibility

• 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

• 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

• Designing Spellcasters from Clinician Perspectives: A Customizable Gesture-Based Immersive Virtual Reality Game for Stroke Rehabilitation

  Jared Duval, Rutul Thakkar, Delong Du, Kassandra Chin, Sherry Luo, Aviv Elor, Magy Seif El-Nasr, Michael John · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research presents Spellcasters, an immersive virtual reality game adapted from entertainment for stroke rehabilitation. More than 800,000 people suffer strokes annually in the US, with two-thirds requiring rehabilitation. Stroke survivors often experience hemiparesis…

  stroke rehabilitation · virtual reality · serious games · telehealth · gesture recognition

• A Longitudinal Evaluation of Tablet-Based Child Speech Therapy with Apraxia World

  Adam Hair, Kirrie J. Ballard, Constantina Markoulli, Penelope Monroe, Jacqueline McKechnie, Beena Ahmed, Ricardo Gutierrez-Osuna · 2021 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents Apraxia World, a tablet-based speech therapy game designed for long-term home practice by children with speech sound disorders (SSDs), particularly childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Unlike many therapy games that use simple arcade mechanics and quickly…

  speech therapy · childhood apraxia of speech · speech sound disorders · serious games · games for health

• Screening Risk of Dyslexia Through a Web-Game Using Language-Independent Content and Machine Learning

  Maria Rauschenberger, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Luz Rello · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents MusVis, a web-based game designed to screen for dyslexia risk using language-independent content and machine learning, enabling potential early detection even in pre-readers who have not yet developed literacy skills. Dyslexia affects 5-15% of the world…

  dyslexia · machine learning · screening · serious games · gamification

• "If you've gone straight, now, you must turn left" - Exploring the use of a tangible interface in a collaborative treasure hunt for people with visual impairments

  Quentin Chibaudel, Wafa Johal, Bernard Oriola, Marc J-M Macé, Pierre Dillenbourg, Valérie Tartas, Christophe Jouffrais · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper from a collaboration between IRIT (Toulouse), UNSW Sydney, EPFL, and Université Toulouse investigates how tangible user interfaces — specifically a small graspable robot called the Cellulo — can mediate collaboration between two people with visual impairments in a…

  visual impairments · tangible user interface · collaborative learning · spatial cognition · wayfinding

• 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

• Insights for More Usable VR for People with Amblyopia

  Ocean Hurd, Sri Kurniawan · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This poster paper investigates how to make virtual reality experiences more usable for people with amblyopia ("lazy eye"), the world's most common neurological eye disorder affecting approximately 2-3% of the population. The research is motivated by two converging trends: the…

  amblyopia · virtual reality · visual impairment · VR therapy · serious games

• Towards Language Independent Detection of Dyslexia with a Web-based Game

  Maria Rauschenberger, Luz Rello, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018)

  This paper presents MusVis, a web-based game designed to detect dyslexia in children using musical and visual elements that are language independent, potentially enabling screening before children learn to read. Dyslexia affects 5-15% of the world’s population and early…

  dyslexia · screening · serious games · language independent · auditory processing

• 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

• Using the Musical Multimedia Tool ACMUS with People with Severe Mental Disorders: A Pilot Study

  Mikel Ostiz-Blanco, Alfredo Pina, Miriam Lizaso, Jose Javier Astraín, Gonzalo Arrondo · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018)

  This demo paper from the University of Navarra presents a pilot study evaluating ACMUS (Accessible Music), a multimedia tool that adds visual and interactive dimensions to music therapy for people with severe mental disorders. Music therapy has shown preliminary benefits for…

  mental health · schizophrenia · music therapy · music accessibility · serious games

• Project Star Catcher: A Novel Immersive Virtual Reality Experience for Upper Limb Rehabilitation

  Aviv Elor, Mircea Teodorescu, Sri Kurniawan · 2018 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents Project Star Catcher (PSC), an immersive virtual reality game designed for upper limb rehabilitation in individuals with hemiparesis—weakness or partial paralysis affecting one side of the body, commonly resulting from stroke. The game adapts modified…

  virtual reality · rehabilitation · stroke · hemiparesis · constraint-induced therapy

• Screening Dyslexia for English Using HCI Measures and Machine Learning

  Luz Rello, Enrique Romero, Maria Rauschenberger, Abdullah Ali, Kristin Williams, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Nancy Cushen White · 2018 · International Conference on Digital Health

  This paper presents a machine learning approach to screening for dyslexia in English speakers by analyzing how users interact with a linguistic computer-based game called Dytective. More than 10% of the population has dyslexia, but most are diagnosed only after failing in…

  dyslexia · machine learning · screening · serious games · early detection

• Towards the Prediction of Dyslexia by a Web-based Game with Musical Elements

  Maria Rauschenberger, Luz Rello, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Emilia Gomez, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2017 · Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents DysMusic, a web-based serious game prototype that aims to predict the risk of dyslexia in pre-reading children using musical elements rather than linguistic tasks. Current dyslexia screening tools rely on reading and writing abilities — linguistic elements…

  dyslexia · screening · serious games · gamification · music

• Math Melodies: Supporting Visually Impaired Primary School Students in Learning Math

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Valeria Alampi, Cristian Bernareggi, Andrea Gerino, Sergio Mascetti · 2017 · Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents Math Melodies, a free iPad application designed to teach mathematics to primary school children who are blind or visually impaired, while simultaneously engaging sighted peers. Mathematics education poses particular challenges for visually…

  visual impairment · blindness · education accessibility · mathematics accessibility · children

• DytectiveU: A Game to Train the Difficulties and the Strengths of Children with Dyslexia

  Luz Rello, Arturo Macias, María Herrera, Camila de Ros, Enrique Romero, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This demonstration paper presents DytectiveU, a game-based application containing 35,000 exercises designed to train cognitive abilities related to dyslexia in Spanish-speaking children. Unlike most existing dyslexia interventions that focus narrowly on reading fluency or…

  dyslexia · serious games · cognitive accessibility · gamification · learning disabilities