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• The Reliability of Fitts's Law as a Movement Model for People with and without Limited Fine Motor Function

  Ather Sharif, Victoria Pao, Katharina Reinecke, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper investigates a foundational assumption in HCI and assistive technology research: that Fitts's law reliably measures pointing performance. Fitts's law, introduced in 1954, models the relationship between the time to complete a pointing movement and the difficulty of…

  motor accessibility · input methods · research methods · pointing devices · assistive technology

• ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation

  Arshad Nasser, Kai-Ning Keng, Kening Zhu · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents ThermalCane, a white-cane grip augmented with flexible Peltier thermoelectric modules that provide thermal directional cues for blind and visually impaired (BVI) navigation. While existing haptic navigation aids primarily use vibrotactile feedback (vibration…

  visual accessibility · navigation · haptic technology · white cane · assistive technology

• Inclusive improvisation through sound and movement mapping: from DMI to ADMI

  Alon Ilsar, Gail Kenning · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents a case study of adapting the AirSticks, a gestural Digital Musical Instrument (DMI) designed for expert percussionists, into an Accessible Digital Musical Instrument (ADMI) for people with disabilities. The AirSticks use Razer Hydra virtual reality gaming…

  music accessibility · accessible digital musical instruments · gesture interaction · inclusive design · dementia

• CaseGuide: Making Cheap Smartphones Accessible to Individuals with Visual Impairments in Informal Settlements

  Roos van Greevenbroek · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This short paper presents CaseGuide, a low-cost concept for making cheap smartphones accessible to individuals with visual impairments living in informal settlements (IVIIS). The majority of visually impaired people live in low-income areas where less than 5-15% can access…

  visual accessibility · mobile accessibility · global accessibility · Global South accessibility · assistive technology

• Teacher Views of Math E-learning Tools for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

  Zikai Alex Wen, Erica Silverstein, Yuhang Zhao, Anjelika Lynne Amog, Katherine Garnett, Shiri Azenkot · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper examines how teachers use math e-learning tools with students who have specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in grades 5-8, a population where approximately 5% of US public school students are identified as having an SLD. SLDs predominantly affect reading (dyslexia),…

  learning disabilities · education accessibility · educational technology · dyscalculia · dyslexia

• Visual Content Considered Private by People Who are Blind

  Abigale Stangl, Kristina Shiroma, Bo Xie, Kenneth R. Fleischmann, Danna Gurari · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents the first empirical study investigating what types of visual content people who are blind consider private, in the context of their use of Visual Interpreters or Description Services (VIDS) — services like Seeing AI, Aira, Be My Eyes, and TapTapSee that…

  visual accessibility · blindness and low vision · privacy · computer vision · artificial intelligence

• Supporting Older Adults in Locating Mobile Interface Features with Voice Input

  Ja Eun Yu, Debaleena Chattopadhyay · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents a voice assistant system built on Android that helps older adults locate specific features on complex mobile interfaces by speaking natural language queries. The system addresses a well-documented challenge: older adults struggle to find…

  aging · mobile accessibility · voice interface · user interface design · assistive technology

• Ontology-Driven Transformations for PDF Form Accessibility

  Utku Uckun, Ali Selman Aydin, Vikas Ashok, IV Ramakrishnan · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents TransPAc (Transformations for PDF Form Accessibility), an assistive technology that transforms PDF forms into accessible HTML pages so blind screen-reader users can fill them out. PDF forms present multiple accessibility barriers: many are…

  screen readers · document accessibility · PDF accessibility · blindness and low vision · web accessibility

• Screen Magnification for Office Applications

  Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok, IV Ramakrishnan · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents MagPro, an interface augmentation for office productivity tools (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) designed to reduce the excessive panning and zooming that screen-magnifier users with low vision must perform. The core problem is that office…

  low vision · screen magnification · assistive technology · workplace accessibility · user interface design

• Keep Your Distance: A Playful Haptic Navigation Wearable for Individuals with Deafblindness

  James Gay, Moritz Umfahrer, Arthur Theil, Lea Buchweitz, Eva Lindell, Li Guo, Nils-Krister Persson, Oliver Korn · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents a haptic wearable vest designed to support independent navigation for people with deafblindness — a dual sensory impairment where the combination of sight and hearing loss makes it difficult for one sense to compensate for the other. Most…

  deafblindness · haptic technology · vibrotactile feedback · navigation · wearable technology

• Behaviors, Problems and Strategies of Visually Impaired Persons During Meal Preparation in the Indian Context: Challenges and Opportunities for Design

  Avyay Ravi Kashyap · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This short paper investigates how visually impaired people in India prepare meals, focusing specifically on cooking techniques that involve heat application — an area largely neglected in accessibility research. While preparatory tasks (cutting, peeling, soaking) are primarily…

  visual accessibility · blindness and low vision · independent living · cooking accessibility · daily living

• Tapsonic: One Dimensional Finger Mounted Multimodal Line Chart Reader

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

  This short paper presents Tapsonic, a finger-mounted wearable device that enables people with visual impairments to read line charts through a combination of haptic feedback and voiceover. The key innovation is a dimensionality reduction approach: rather than trying to…

  visual accessibility · data visualization · data accessibility · haptic technology · blindness and low vision

• AIGuide: An Augmented Reality Hand Guidance Application for People with Visual Impairments

  Nelson Daniel Troncoso Aldas, Sooyeon Lee, Chonghan Lee, Mary Beth Rosson, John M. Carroll, Vijaykrishnan Narayanan · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents AIGuide, a self-contained offline iOS smartphone application that uses augmented reality (ARKit) to help people with visual impairments locate, navigate to, and pick up objects in their surroundings. Unlike existing object detection apps (Seeing AI, Aipoly)…

  visual accessibility · augmented reality · blindness and low vision · mobile accessibility · computer vision

• Haptic and Auditive Mesh Inspection for Blind 3D Modelers

  Sebastian Lieb, Benjamin Rosenmeier, Thorsten Thormählen, Knut Buettner · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '20)

  This paper presents an affordable audio-haptic system that enables blind and severely visually impaired people to independently inspect 3D mesh objects they create using constructive geometry programming languages like OpenSCAD. Blind 3D modelers typically rely on text-based…

  blindness · haptic feedback · 3D modeling · auditory feedback · assistive technology

• How Blind and Visually Impaired Composers, Producers, and Songwriters Leverage and Adapt Music Technology

  William Christopher Payne, Alex Yixuan Xu, Fabiha Ahmed, Lisa Ye, Amy Hurst · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '20)

  This qualitative interview study explores how 11 blind and visually impaired music creators — composers, producers, and songwriters — use and adapt mainstream and assistive music technologies to achieve their creative goals. The researchers recruited participants through the…

  blindness · music accessibility · assistive technology · screen readers · creative accessibility

• Designing and Evaluating Head-based Pointing on Smartphones for People with Motor Impairments

  Muratcan Cicek, Ankit Dave, Wenxin Feng, Michael Xuelin Huang, Julia Katherine Haines, Jeffry Nichols · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '20)

  This paper presents a calibration-free head-based pointing (HBP) system for Android smartphones that uses the standard front-facing camera to enable people with motor impairments to control an on-screen cursor through head movements. The system was designed by a team including…

  motor accessibility · head tracking · alternative input · mobile accessibility · Fitts law

• A Portable Hong Kong Sign Language Translation Platform with Deep Learning and Jetson Nano

  Zhenxing Zhou, Yisiang Neo, King-Shan Lui, Vincent W.L. Tam, Edmund Y. Lam, Ngai Wong · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This demonstration paper presents a portable platform for translating Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL) into spoken language using deep learning and edge computing hardware. The system addresses a significant communication gap: Hong Kong has over 155,000 deaf or hard of hearing…

  sign language recognition · deep learning · edge computing · mobile accessibility · deaf and hard of hearing

• VectorEntry: Text Entry Mechanism Using Handheld Touch-Enabled Mobile Devices for People with Visual Impairments

  Debasis Samanta, Tuhin Chakraborty · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research develops VectorEntry, a gesture-based text entry system for touchscreen mobile devices designed specifically for people with visual impairments. The authors conducted two preliminary studies to understand how users with visual impairments perform directional…

  visual impairment · blindness · text entry · mobile accessibility · touchscreen

• Use of an Indoor Navigation System by Sighted and Blind Travelers: Performance Similarities across Visual Status and Age

  Nicholas A. Giudice, Benjamin A. Guenther, Toni M. Kaplan, Shane M. Anderson, Robert J. Knuesel, Joseph F. Cioffi · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study evaluates an indoor navigation system using commercial iOS devices and Bluetooth beacons to guide blind and visually impaired (BVI) travelers through complex university buildings. The research compared two navigation conditions: a system-aided mode where participants…

  indoor navigation · blind and low vision · wayfinding · Bluetooth beacons · older adults

• SpokeSense: Developing a Real-Time Sensing Platform for Wheelchair Sports

  Patrick Carrington, Gierad Laput, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2020 · SIGACCESS Access. Comput.

  This paper presents SpokeSense, a wheel-mounted sensing platform designed to track and analyze wheelchair basketball performance in real time. While substantial work has gone into sensing and analytics for mainstream sports, wheelchair sports have received relatively little…

  wheelchair sports · adaptive sports · wheelchair basketball · wearable technology · sensors

• Conversational Agency in Augmentative and Alternative Communication

  Stephanie Valencia, Amy Pavel, Jared Santa Maria, Seunga (Gloria) Yu, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Henny Admoni · 2020 · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  This paper introduces conversational agency as a new framework for studying how augmented communicators (ACs) — people who use AAC devices to speak — participate in and influence conversations. While prior AAC research has focused primarily on improving device throughput and…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · cerebral palsy · conversational agency · communication partners

• Pedestrian Detection with Wearable Cameras for the Blind: A Two-way Perspective

  Kyungjun Lee, Daisuke Sato, Saki Asakawa, Hernisa Kacorri, Chieko Asakawa · 2020 · Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  Wearable cameras — embedded in commercial products like OrCam, Aira, and eSight — promise blind users equitable access to visual information about the people around them: who is approaching, where they are looking, whether eye contact is possible. But the always-on nature of…

  wearable camera · pedestrian detection · social acceptance · face recognition · privacy

• ReCog: Supporting Blind People in Recognizing Personal Objects

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Daisuke Sato, Uran Oh, Tatsuya Ishihara, Kris Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2020 · Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  ReCog is a smartphone application designed to help blind users recognize their own personal objects — items like specific clothing, handmade goods, medicines, or family photos that cannot be identified by general-purpose recognizers such as Seeing AI or TapTapSee. The authors…

  visual impairment · blindness · object recognition · computer vision · deep learning

• Interactive Technologies Designed for Children with Autism: Reports of Use and Desires from Parents, Teachers, and Therapists

  Cynthia Putnam, Christina Hanschke, Jennifer Todd, Jonathan Gemmell, Mia Kollia · 2019 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper examines how parents, teachers, and therapists use, perceive, discover, and desire interactive technologies for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research combined 19 semi-structured interviews and 230 survey responses from caregivers across the United…

  autism · children · interactive technology · assistive technology · stakeholder perspectives

• Multimodal Exploration of Mathematical Function Graphs with AudioFunctions.web

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Niccolò Cantù, Cristian Bernareggi, João Guerreiro, Sergio Mascetti, Anna Capietto · 2019 · Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents AudioFunctions.web, a web-based system designed to make mathematical function graphs accessible to people who are blind or have visual impairments. Function graphs are a fundamental tool in mathematics education and STEM fields, yet they remain…

  sonification · mathematics accessibility · visual impairment · blindness · STEM accessibility