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• 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

• 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

• Developing and Deploying a Real-World Solution for Accessible Slide Reading and Authoring for Blind Users

  Zhuohao Zhang, Gene S-H Kim, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '23)

  This paper presents A11yBoard for Google Slides, a multi-device multimodal system that makes presentation slide reading and authoring accessible to blind users. Presentation software like PowerPoint and Google Slides relies on 2-D "artboard" canvases where objects are placed in…

  screen reader accessibility · presentation software · blind and low vision · multimodal interaction · participatory design

• Comparing Natural Language and Vibro-Audio Modalities for Inclusive STEM Learning with Blind and Low Vision Users

  Justin R. Brown, Stacy A. Doore, Justin K. Dimmel, Norbert Giudice, Nicholas A. Giudice · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This study evaluates a multimodal touchscreen diagram system (MDS v 2.0) built on an iPhone that provides blind and low vision (BLV) users with two non-visual methods for accessing graphical STEM content: natural language (NL) descriptions delivered via VoiceOver text-to-speech,…

  blind and low vision · STEM accessibility · data visualization · haptic technology · multimodal interaction

• Screen or No Screen? Lessons Learnt from a Real-World Deployment Study of Using Voice Assistants With and Without Touchscreen for Older Adults

  Zhenyu Chen, Yijun Lin, Jiaxin Li, Qiuchen Qian, Mingzhe Li, Jikun Peng, Yuhang Zhao · 2023 · ASSETS 2023: The 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents a 40-day within-subjects deployment study examining how older adults interact with voice assistants (VAs) with and without touchscreen capability. Sixteen participants (mean age 82.5 years), all living independently, used an Amazon Echo Dot (voice-only) and…

  voice assistants · older adults · smart speakers · smart displays · touchscreen

• Multimodal 3D printed urban maps for blind people. Evaluations and scientific investigations

  Malgorzata Telesinska · 2023 · ASSETS 2023: The 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This poster paper presents a multimodal 3D printed urban map prototype that embeds capacitive touch sensors directly into the map body to provide location-specific audio descriptions when touched. The research, conducted at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in Poland,…

  tactile maps · 3D printing · blind and low vision · multimodal interaction · audio-tactile

• CareHub: Smart Screen VUI and Home Appliances Control for Older Adults

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

  This demonstration paper presents CareHub, a smart screen prototype that augments voice user interfaces (VUIs) with complementary visual output to help older adults control home appliances more effectively. The research was conducted at the Rhode Island School of Design and…

  voice user interface · older adults · smart home · aging in place · multimodal interaction

• 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

• Design Guidelines and Recommendations for Multimodal, Touchscreen-based Graphics

  Jenna L. Gorlewicz, Jennifer L. Tennison, Hari Prasath Palani, Nicholas A. Giudice · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents comprehensive design guidelines for creating accessible graphics on touchscreen devices using vibration and audio feedback for people with visual impairments. Drawing on over eight years of research, the authors address a critical gap: while touchscreen…

  tactile graphics · touchscreen accessibility · haptic feedback · multimodal interaction · STEM accessibility

• Design Guidelines for an Interactive 3D Model as a Supporting Tool for Exploring a Cultural Site by Visually Impaired and Sighted People

  Barbara Leporini, Valentina Rossetti, Francesco Furfari, Susanna Pelagatti, Andrea Quarta · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a methodology for creating low-cost interactive 3D printed models combined with audio descriptions to enable both visually impaired and sighted people to explore cultural heritage sites autonomously. The prototype reproduces Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa, Italy…

  3D printing · tactile graphics · cultural heritage · museum accessibility · audio description

• 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

• AudioFunctions.web: Multimodal Exploration of Mathematical Function Graphs

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

  This full research paper presents AudioFunctions.web, a web application that enables blind and visually impaired people to explore mathematical function graphs through a combination of sonification, earcons, and speech synthesis. The system is the platform-independent successor…

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

• Personalized and Accessible TV Interaction for People with Visual Impairments

  Daniel Costa, Carlos Duarte · 2019 · Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the design and implementation of a system that makes Connected TV applications accessible to people with visual impairments by using a smartphone as an accessible second-screen controller. Connected TVs and set-top boxes now offer interactive features beyond…

  visual impairment · connected TV · personalization · adaptive interface · multimodal interaction

• Addressing the Situational Impairments Encountered by Firefighters through the Design of Alerts

  Flynn Wolf, Priyanka Soni, Ravi Kuber, Dianne Pawluk, Brian Turnage · 2019 · Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper describes a structured multi-step approach to designing multimodal alerts for firefighters who experience severe situationally-induced impairments and disabilities (SIIDs) at fire scenes — thick smoke restricting vision, loud noise from combustion, sirens, and power…

  situational impairment · situational disability · haptic feedback · multimodal interaction · participatory design

• μGraph: Haptic Exploration and Editing of 3D Chemical Diagrams

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

  This paper presents μGraph (Multimodal Graph), a system that combines haptic force feedback and speech to enable people who are blind or visually impaired (VIB) to explore and edit three-dimensional structural chemical formulae. Chemical diagrams represent molecular structures…

  haptic technology · STEM accessibility · blind · visual impairment · chemistry education

• VERSE: Bridging Screen Readers and Voice Assistants for Enhanced Eyes-Free Web Search

  Alexandra Vtyurina, Adam Fourney, Meredith Ringel Morris, Leah Findlater, Ryen W. White · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper identifies the complementary strengths and weaknesses of screen readers and voice assistants (VAs) for blind web searchers, then presents VERSE (Voice Exploration, Retrieval, and SEarch), a prototype that merges the best of both technologies. An online survey of 53…

  screen readers · voice assistant · blind · web search · information retrieval

• Pictures in Your Mind: Using Interactive Gesture-Controlled Reliefs to Explore Art

  Andreas Reichinger, Helena Garcia Carrizosa, Joanna Wood, Svenja Schröder, Christian Löw, Laura Rosalia Luidolt, Maria Schimkowitsch, Anton Fuhrmann, Stefan Maierhofer, Werner Purgathofer · 2018 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper presents an interactive audio guide (IAG) system that combines 3D-printed tactile reliefs with gesture-controlled, location-dependent audio descriptions to make visual art accessible to blind, visually impaired, and cognitively disabled users. Traditional tactile…

  tactile graphics · museum accessibility · blind and visually impaired · audio description · gesture interaction

• 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

• 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

• Prime III: Voting for a More Accessible Future

  Simone A. Smarr, Imani N. Sherman, Brianna Posadas, Juan E. Gilbert · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This demonstration paper presents Prime III, an open-source, multimodal electronic ballot marking system designed to allow all voters — regardless of ability or disability — to vote independently and privately on the same machine. Developed at the University of Florida beginning…

  accessible voting · universal design · multimodal interaction · blindness · civic participation

• DroneNavigator: Using Leashed and Free-Floating Quadcopters to Navigate Visually Impaired Travelers

  Mauro Avila Soto, Markus Funk, Matthias Hoppe, Robin Boldt, Katrin Wolf, Niels Henze · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This paper explores an unconventional approach to navigation assistance for visually impaired travelers: using small, lightweight quadcopters as mobile sound and haptic sources to guide users through indoor environments. While existing navigation systems deliver directional…

  navigation · blindness · drones · assistive technology · haptic technology

• CymaSense: A Novel Audio-Visual Therapeutic Tool for People on the Autism Spectrum

  John McGowan, Grégory Leplâtre, Iain McGregor · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This paper presents CymaSense, an interactive multimodal tool that generates real-time 3D visual representations of sound based on Cymatics — the study of visible patterns created by sound vibrations in physical media like water or metal plates. The system was designed to…

  autism spectrum disorder · music therapy · assistive technology · multimodal interaction · sensory processing

• The Tangible Desktop: A Multimodal Approach to Nonvisual Computing

  Mark S. Baldwin, Gillian R. Hayes, Oliver L. Haimson, Jennifer Mankoff, Scott E. Hudson · 2017 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper identifies fundamental limitations of audio-only computer interfaces for blind and low-vision users and proposes a multimodal tangible alternative. The researchers conducted a 4-month field study at EmpowerTech, a computer training school for adults who are blind or…

  screen readers · tangible interfaces · haptic feedback · blindness · multimodal interaction