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• SoundModVR: Sound Modifications in Virtual Reality to Support People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

  Xinyun Cao, Dhruv Jain · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper challenges the prevailing approach to VR sound accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) people, which has focused almost exclusively on substituting audio with visual or haptic alternatives (captions, flashing indicators, vibrations). The authors argue that…

  deaf and hard of hearing · virtual reality · sound modification · audio accessibility · partial hearing

• SoundHapticVR: Head-Based Spatial Haptic Feedback for Accessible Sounds in Virtual Reality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Users

  Pratheep Kumar Chelladurai, Ziming Li, Maximilian Weber, Tae Oh, Roshan L Peiris · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents SoundHapticVR, a head-based haptic feedback system that converts spatial audio cues in virtual reality into vibrotactile feedback for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) users. VR environments rely heavily on spatial audio to convey critical information — alerting…

  deaf and hard of hearing · haptics · virtual reality · sound localization · sensory substitution

• Is it Part of Me? Exploring Experiences of Inclusive Avatar Use For Visible and Invisible Disabilities in Social VR

  Katrin Angerbauer, Phoenix Van Wagoner, Tim Halach, Jonas Vogelsang, Natalie Hube, Andria Smith, Ksenia Keplinger, Michael Sedlmair · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates the lived experiences of people with disabilities (PWD) using inclusive avatars — avatars featuring disability signifiers — in the social VR platform VRChat. While prior research has documented accessibility barriers and harassment facing disabled users…

  virtual reality · avatars · invisible disability · visible disability · social VR

• "I Try to Represent Myself as I Am": Self-Presentation Preferences of People with Invisible Disabilities through Embodied Social VR Avatars

  Ria J. Gualano, Lucy Jiang, Kexin Zhang, Tanisha Shende, Andrea Stevenson Won, Shiri Azenkot · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how people with invisible disabilities want to represent their disability identity through avatars in social virtual reality environments. While prior research has explored avatar-based disability disclosure for blind and d/Deaf users, invisible…

  invisible disability · virtual reality · avatars · self-presentation · disability disclosure

• Enhancing Walk-Light Detector Usage for the Visually Impaired: A Comparison of VR Exploration and Verbal Instructions

  Jonggi Hong, James Coughlan · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This paper from Stevens Institute of Technology and Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute compares two methods for teaching people with visual impairments (PVI) to use a walk-light detector smartphone app at traffic intersections: virtual reality (VR) exploration versus…

  blindness · virtual reality · navigation · camera aiming · pedestrian safety

• Stress Detection of Autistic Adults during Simulated Job Interviews Using a Novel Physiological Dataset and Machine Learning

  Miroslava Migovich, Deeksha Adiani, Michael Breen, Amy Swanson, Timothy J. Vogus, Nilanjan Sarkar · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research addresses the significant employment barriers faced by autistic adults, with job interviews identified as a primary obstacle. The researchers developed a physiological stress detection system integrated with CIRVR (Career Interview Readiness in Virtual Reality), a…

  autism · employment · job interview · physiological sensing · affective computing

• Bring Environments to People – A Case Study of Virtual Tours in Accessibility Assessment for People with Limited Mobility

  Hao-Yun Chi, Jingzhen Sha, Yang Zhang · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A '23)

  This study presents the first user research with people with limited mobility on using virtual tours — 3D digital replicas of physical environments captured with 360-degree cameras and depth sensors — to remotely assess the accessibility of indoor spaces. People with mobility…

  physical accessibility · wheelchair users · virtual reality · accessible housing · mobility impairments

• Comparing Locomotion Techniques in Virtual Reality for People with Upper-Body Motor Impairments

  Rachel L. Franz, Jinghan Yu, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '23)

  This paper presents the first empirical study comparing the accessibility of virtual reality locomotion techniques — methods for navigating virtual environments — for people with upper-body motor impairments. Despite over 100 distinct locomotion techniques existing in VR and the…

  virtual reality · locomotion · motor impairments · VR accessibility · interaction techniques

• The Guide Has Your Back: Exploring How Sighted Guides Can Enhance Accessibility in Social Virtual Reality for Blind and Low Vision People

  Jazmin Collins, Crescentia Jung, Yeonju Jang, Danielle Montour, Andrea Stevenson Won, Shiri Azenkot · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper presents the first exploration of using sighted guides to enhance accessibility in social virtual reality for blind and low vision (BLV) people. The researchers built a VR prototype in Unity deployed on Meta Quest 2 headsets, featuring three simulated park…

  virtual reality · social VR · blind and low vision · sighted guide · navigation

• The Eyes Have It: Visual Feedback Methods to Make Walking in Immersive Virtual Reality More Accessible for People With Mobility Impairments While Utilizing Head-Mounted Displays

  M. Rasel Mahmud, Alberto Cordova, John Quarles · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper addresses a critical accessibility barrier in VR: head-mounted displays (HMDs) obstruct peripheral vision of the real world, causing gait disturbances that are particularly dangerous for people with mobility impairments who rely on visual cues for balance. The…

  virtual reality · mobility impairment · multiple sclerosis · gait · visual feedback

• Investigation into Stress Triggers in Autistic Adults for the Development of Technological Self-Interventions

  John Joseph McGowan, Iain Peter McGregor · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper presents findings from a large-scale online survey of over 200 autistic adults and caregivers, investigating common stress triggers and the role of technology in stress management. The research is the initial phase of a broader project aimed at developing a Stress…

  autism · stress management · sensory processing · assistive technology · virtual reality

• Embodied Exploration: Facilitating Remote Accessibility Assessment for Wheelchair Users with Virtual Reality

  Siyou Pei, Alexander Chen, Chen Chen, Franklin Mingzhe Li, Megan Fozzard, Hao-Yun Chi, Nadir Weibel, Patrick Carrington, Yang Zhang · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents Embodied Exploration, a Virtual Reality system that allows wheelchair users to remotely assess the accessibility of unfamiliar physical environments by exploring high-fidelity digital replicas while embodied by personalized avatars. The system addresses a…

  wheelchair accessibility · virtual reality · embodied interaction · accessibility assessment · digital twin

• Investigating Sign Language Interpreter Rendering and Guiding Methods in Virtual Reality 360-Degree Content

  Craig Anderton · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper explores how sign language interpretation can be effectively presented in virtual reality 360-degree (VR360) three-degrees-of-freedom video content. The research addresses a significant gap: while VR accessibility guidelines exist for subtitles, there has been almost…

  sign language · virtual reality · extended reality · 360-degree video · deaf accessibility

• SoundVizVR: Sound Indicators for Accessible Sounds in Virtual Reality for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Users

  Ziming Li, Shannon Connell, Wendy Dannels, Roshan Peiris · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents SoundVizVR, a Unity plugin that visualizes sound information in virtual reality environments for Deaf or Hard-of-hearing (DHH) users. Sounds in VR provide critical spatial cues, interaction feedback, and ambient information that contribute to immersion, but…

  virtual reality · Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing · sound visualization · audio accessibility · game accessibility

• 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 Participatory Design Approach to Creating Echolocation-Enabled Virtual Environments

  Ronny Andrade, Steven Baker, Jenny Waycott, Frank Vetere · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This participatory design study investigates how echolocation can be implemented in virtual environments to make them accessible to people with visual impairment. The researchers worked with three expert echolocators—people who have developed the ability to use sound and its…

  echolocation · virtual reality · participatory design · visual impairment · game accessibility

• 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

• A Scoping Review of Assistance and Therapy with Head-Mounted Displays for People Who Are Visually Impaired

  Yifan Li, Kangsoo Kim, Austin Erickson, Nahal Norouzi, Jonathan Jules, Gerd Bruder, Gregory F. Welch · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This scoping review systematically examines how Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) have been used for visual assistance and therapy for people with visual impairments. The authors searched six databases (IEEE, ACM, Springer, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, PubMed) and screened 1,251…

  low vision · visual impairment · head-mounted display · virtual reality · augmented reality

• MetaCogs: Mitigating Executive Dysfunction via Agent-based Modeling for Metacognitive Strategy Development

  Rua M. Williams, Kiana Alikhademi, Imani N. S. Munyaka, Juan E. Gilbert · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study presents MetaCogs, a virtual reality experience designed to teach metacognitive strategies for managing executive dysfunction. Rather than targeting autistic or ADHD individuals as populations needing "intervention," the research centers autistic experiences as a…

  executive function · metacognition · autism · ADHD · virtual reality

• INC-Hg: An Intelligent Collaborative Haptic-Gripper Virtual Reality System for Children with Autism to Develop Social Skills

  Yao Zhao, Nicole Shay, Jonathan Cofino, Debra Sterling, Erin Paquette, Adriana Debarros, Maria Gillen, Michelle Won, Zhigang Zhu, Cecilia Feeley, Amy Hurst · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents INC-Hg (Intelligent Collaborative Haptic-Gripper), a VR system designed to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) practice collaborative and social communication skills. The system addresses a significant challenge: traditional collaborative VR…

  autism spectrum disorder · virtual reality · collaborative learning · haptic feedback · intelligent agents

• Career Interview Readiness in Virtual Reality (CIRVR): A Platform for Simulated Interview Training for Autistic Individuals and Their Employers

  Deeksha Adiani, Aaron Itzkovitz, Dayi Bian, Harrison Katz, Michael Breen, Spencer Hunt, Amy Swanson, Timothy J. Vogus, Joshua Wade, Nilanjan Sarkar · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents CIRVR (Career Interview Readiness in Virtual Reality), a closed-loop adaptive VR platform designed to help autistic individuals practice job interview skills. The system addresses a critical employment barrier: only 10-50% of autistic adults are employed,…

  autism spectrum disorder · virtual reality · employment · job interviews · stress detection

• Nearmi: A Framework for Designing Point of Interest Techniques for VR Users with Limited Mobility

  Rachel Franz, Samantha Hornback, Diva Jayasinghe, Jolie Auricchio, John Porter III, John Googleddy, Kristen Shinohara · 2021 · ASSETS '21: The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  Virtual reality presents significant accessibility barriers for people with limited mobility, yet relatively little research has addressed how to make VR navigation and exploration usable for this population. Franz et al. introduce Nearmi, a design framework specifically…

  virtual reality · VR accessibility · limited mobility · motor impairments · point of interest

• Immersive Virtual Reality for Older Adults: Empirically Grounded Design Guidelines

  Vero Vanden Abeele, Brenda Schraepen, Hanne Huygelier, Celine Gillebert, Kathrin Gerling, Raymond Van Ee · 2021 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper establishes empirically grounded design guidelines for immersive virtual reality (IVR) experiences targeting older adults. The researchers conducted two complementary studies: first, a systematic literature review that compiled 67 design guidelines from 13 prior…

  virtual reality · older adults · aging · design guidelines · accessibility

• Echolocation as a Means for People with Visual Impairment (PVI) to Acquire Spatial Knowledge of Virtual Space

  Ronny Andrade, Jenny Waycott, Steven Baker, Frank Vetere · 2021 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates whether echolocation—the use of sound reflections to perceive spatial information—can enable people with visual impairment (PVI) to acquire spatial knowledge of virtual environments. The researchers built a virtual world using Unity 3D and the SteamAudio…

  visual impairment · blindness · echolocation · virtual reality · gaming

• Teaching ASL Signs using Signing Avatars and Immersive Learning in Virtual Reality

  Lorna C. Quandt, Jason Lamberton, Athena S. Willis, Jianye Wang, Kaitlyn Weeks, Emily Kubicek, Melissa Malzkuhn · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents SAIL (Signing Avatars & Immersive Learning), the first ASL instructional system built for immersive virtual reality. Developed at Gallaudet University by a majority-Deaf team, SAIL uses a signing avatar — a computer-animated virtual human…

  sign language · American Sign Language · virtual reality · signing avatars · motion capture