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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

• Co-Ideating a Digital Pain Companion: Exploring How Music Can Support Daily Chronic Pain Self-Management

  Bleiz M. Del Sette, Charalampos Saitis · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Computing for Healthcare

  This paper presents the co-ideation of the Digital Pain Companion (DPC), a proposed music-integrating wearable interface for daily chronic pain self-management. Grounded in the psychosocial dimensions of chronic pain rather than biomedical symptom tracking, the research…

  chronic pain · co-design · music therapy · wearable technology · self-management

• Three Modalities, Two Design Probes, One Prototype, and No Vision: Experience-Based Co-Design of a Multi-modal 3D Data Visualization Tool

  Sanchita S. Kamath, Aziz N. Zeidieh, Venkatesh Potluri, Sile O'Modhrain, Kenneth Perry, JooYoung Seo · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Kamath et al. report an Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) process in which five blind or low-vision (BLV) researchers and one sighted collaborator built a web-native, multimodal prototype for exploring 3D surface plots - a class of visualisation central to VUV spectroscopy,…

  blind and low vision · data visualization · 3D visualization · sonification · spatial audio

• Beyond Descriptions: A Generative Scene2Audio Framework for Blind and Low-Vision Users to Experience Vista Landscapes

  Chitralekha Gupta, Jing Peng, Ashwin Ram, Shreyas Sridhar, Christophe Jouffrais, Suranga Nanayakkara · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Scene description apps (Seeing AI, Be My AI, Envision) do a reasonable job of telling blind and low-vision (BLV) users what is in front of them, but they are built for utility - 'there is a chair'. They fail at the aesthetic, leisure, emotional experience of distant landscapes:…

  blind and low vision · sonification · spatial audio · generative AI · psychoacoustics

• Beyond Additive Design: An Empirical Taxonomy of Multimodal STEM Accessibility Systems

  Madjid Sadallah, Benoit Encelle · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  Sadallah and Encelle conduct a systematic review of 66 multimodal STEM accessibility systems for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users published between 2015 and 2025, drawn from the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, OpenAlex, PubMed, and Web of Science. Their central argument…

  STEM accessibility · multimodal interaction · cognitive load · sensory integration · blind and low vision

• SoundSpace: What and Where Through Sound

  Amber Maimon, Iddo Yehoshua Wald, Rahaf Sobh, Carol Sliman, Yarah Nassar, Joel Lanir · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  SoundSpace is a real-time sensory substitution system designed to give blind and visually impaired users simultaneous awareness of what objects are present in a scene and where they are located, without relying exclusively on verbal scene descriptions. The authors argue that…

  blind and low vision · sensory substitution · spatial audio · sonification · assistive technology

• CollaDrum: Designing a Tangible Interactive Sonic System to Foster Collaboration in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

  Yinhan Gao, Yalong Luo, Wenwei Jiang, Wanling Cai, Yucheng Jin · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  CollaDrum is a co-designed tangible sonic system intended to scaffold task-based peer collaboration for autistic children in classroom settings, with explicit attention to not adding cognitive overhead from novel interaction paradigms. The authors interviewed five educators…

  autism · autistic children · tangible interfaces · classroom technology · collaboration

• Leveraging Dynamic Audio-Tactile UIs to Assist Visually Impaired Users in Exploring Line Charts through Tactile Graphic Readers

  Gaspar Ramôa, Karin Müller · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents the Melodic Line Tracing Exploration UI, a novel dynamic audio-tactile user interface designed to help blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals interpret complex line charts through tactile graphic readers. The research addresses a significant gap: while…

  data visualization · tactile graphics · sonification · audio-tactile interface · blindness and visual impairment

• In Sync: Exploration of a Multi-sensory Artefact for Dance Accessibility with People who are Blind or Have Low Vision and Dance Teachers

  Madhuka Thisuri De Silva, Jim Smiley, Leona M Holloway, Sarah Goodwin, Matthew Butler · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper explores how a multi-sensory artefact combining spatialised audio and haptic feedback can support contemporary dance learning for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV). The system uses a Vicon motion tracking system to compare the hand positions of a teacher…

  blind and low-vision · dance accessibility · multi-sensory feedback · haptic feedback · sonification

• 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

• Data Sonification for Screen-Reader Users: When and When Not to Use

  Ather Sharif, Neha Aitharaju, Srihari Krishnaswamy, Jacob Wobbrock · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Washington assesses when data sonification — non-speech audio representations of data visualizations — is and is not beneficial for screen-reader users. Despite sonification dating back to 1974 and growing adoption in commercial products (Apple…

  sonification · data visualization · screen readers · blindness · visual impairment

• It's Hip to Be Square: A Tangible User Interface for Quadrilateral Learning

  Scott George Lambert, Adish Pawar, Taliesin L. Smith, Jennifer Tennison, Emily B. Moore, Jenna Gorlewicz · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents the Smart Quad, a tangible user interface (TUI) designed to make geometry learning accessible through physical manipulation of four-sided shapes. The Smart Quad pairs via Bluetooth with the PhET Quadrilateral Simulation, creating a multimodal learning…

  tangible user interface · TUI · blind and low vision · mathematics education · geometry

• Speed-of-Light VR for Blind People: Conveying the Location of Arm-Reach Targets

  Diogo Lança, Manuel Piçarra, Inês Gonçalves, Uran Oh, André Rodrigues, João Guerreiro · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper explores how blind people can locate and interact with close-range virtual objects in Virtual Reality (VR), a space that relies almost entirely on visual cues. Researchers from the University of Lisbon and Ewha Womans University adapted the arcade game Speed-of-Light…

  virtual reality · visual impairments · blindness · nonvisual feedback · sonification

• Exploring The Affordances of Game-Aware Streaming to Support Blind and Low Vision Viewers: A Design Probe Study

  Noor Hammad, Frank Elavsky, Sanika Moharana, Jessie Chen, Seyoung Lee, Patrick Carrington, Dominik Moritz, Jessica Hammer, Erik Harpstead · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper investigates how game-aware streaming systems can be made accessible to blind and low-vision (BLV) viewers on platforms like Twitch. Live game streaming is a major social and entertainment medium, but the experience is overwhelmingly visual — viewers watch gameplay…

  game accessibility · blind and low vision · live streaming · Twitch · sonification

• Understanding and Reducing the Challenges Faced by Creators of Accessible Online Data Visualizations

  Ather Sharif, Joo Gyeong Kim, Jessie Zijia Xu, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper investigates the challenges visualization creators face in making online data visualizations accessible to screen-reader users and develops interventions to address these challenges. Data visualizations (charts, graphs, maps, dashboards) are increasingly prevalent on…

  data visualization · screen readers · web accessibility · sonification · blind and low vision

• MAIDR Meets AI: Exploring Multimodal LLM-Based Data Visualization Interpretation by and with Blind and Low-Vision Users

  JooYoung Seo, Sanchita S. Kamath, Aziz Zeidieh, Saairam Venkatesh, Sean McCurry · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how blind and low-vision (BLV) users interact with large language models to interpret data visualizations, building on the authors' previously developed MAIDR (Multimodal Access and Interactive Data Representation) framework. MAIDR already provides…

  blind and low vision · data visualization · large language models · generative AI · sonification

• AltCanvas: A Tile-Based Editor for Visual Content Creation with Generative AI for Blind or Visually Impaired People

  Seonghee Lee, Maho Kohga, Steve Landau, Sile O'Modhrain, Hari Subramonyam · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents AltCanvas, a generative AI-powered illustration tool that enables blind or visually impaired (BVI) users to create visual content through a novel tile-based interface. The system addresses a fundamental gap between two existing approaches: accessible…

  visual impairment · generative AI · image creation · tactile graphics · sonification

• ChartA11y: Designing Accessible Touch Experiences of Visualizations with Blind Smartphone Users

  Zhuohao Zhang, John R. Thompson, Aditi Shah, Manish Agrawal, Alper Sarikaya, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Edward Cutrell, Bongshin Lee · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper presents ChartA11y, an iOS mobile application that makes 2-D data visualizations accessible to blind and low-vision (BLV) smartphone users through multimodal touch interactions. Developed through an iterative participatory design process involving 13 co-design…

  data visualization · blind and low vision · touchscreen accessibility · sonification · multimodal interaction

• Beyond Sight: Empowering Visually Impaired Users with Audible Graphs

  Wajdi Aljedaani, Uday Kiran Chimpiri, Durgasantosh Gaddam, Vaseem Ahammed Shaik, Yaswitha Karasala, Marcelo M. Eler · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This technical note presents a tool designed to make data visualizations accessible to people with visual impairments by converting them into audible and textual representations. The tool addresses a significant gap: while data visualization is central to modern information…

  data visualization · visual impairments · sonification · screen readers · optical character recognition

• IMAGE: An Open-Source, Extensible Framework for Deploying Accessible Audio and Haptic Renderings of Web Graphics

  Juliette Regimbal, Jeffrey R. Blum, Cyan Kuo, Jeremy R. Cooperstock · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces IMAGE (Internet Multimodal Access to Graphical Exploration), an open-source software framework designed to help accessibility practitioners create and deploy audio and haptic representations of web graphics. The authors address a critical problem in…

  web graphics · sonification · haptic feedback · multimodal interaction · open source

• Translating Color: Sonification as a Method of Sensory Substitution within the Museum

  Silvia Dini, Luca Andrea Ludovico, Sergio Mascetti, Maria Joaquina Valero Gisbert · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract proposes using sonification — the technique of translating data into sound — to make the chromatic elements of contemporary artworks accessible to people with visual impairments or blindness (VIB). The research addresses a fundamental challenge in museum…

  sonification · museum accessibility · visual impairment · sensory substitution · art accessibility

• Authoring Web-accessible Mathematical Diagrams

  David Austin, Volker Sorge · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents an XML-based authoring language for creating web-accessible mathematical diagrams, designed to integrate with PreTeXt, a tool for producing accessible scholarly documents. While text and mathematical formulas in LaTeX can be made web-accessible…

  STEM accessibility · mathematical diagrams · SVG accessibility · screen readers · sonification

• Authoring Web-accessible Mathematical Diagrams (Short Paper)

  David Austin, Volker Sorge · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This short paper presents a novel XML-based language for authoring accessible mathematical diagrams, targeting both visually impaired (VI) and sighted authors. Mathematical diagrams are essential for STEM subjects yet remain overwhelmingly inaccessible in electronic documents —…

  STEM accessibility · mathematical diagrams · SVG accessibility · blind and low vision · sonification

• Understanding and Improving Drilled-Down Information Extraction from Online Data Visualizations for Screen-Reader Users

  Ather Sharif, Andrew M. Zhang, Katharina Reinecke, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A '23)

  This extended abstract presents enhancements to VoxLens, an open-source JavaScript plug-in that improves the accessibility of online data visualizations for screen-reader users (SRUs) through a multimodal approach. Over 7.6 million people in the United States use screen readers,…

  screen readers · data visualization accessibility · alternative text · sonification · blind and low vision

• Cripping Data Visualizations: Crip Technoscience as a Critical Lens for Designing Digital Access

  Stacy Hsueh, Beatrice Vincenzi, Akshata Murdeshwar, Marianela Ciolfi Felice · 2023 · ASSETS 2023: The 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper applies crip technoscience as a critical, generative framework for rethinking how accessible data visualizations are designed. The authors argue that current approaches to visualization accessibility largely treat access as a technical problem to be solved by…

  data visualization · crip technoscience · crip theory · blind and low vision · speculative design