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• From Daily Song to Daily Self: Supporting Emotional Growth of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals through Generative AI Songwriting

  Youjin Choi, JinYoung Yoo, JaeYoung Moon, Yoonjae Kim, Eun Young Lee, Jennifer G Kim, Jin-Hyuk Hong · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper introduces SoulNote, a generative-AI songwriting system designed to support sustained emotional growth for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) individuals through music-based journaling. The authors argue that prior music-GenAI accessibility work has focused on…

  Generative AI · Deaf and Hard of Hearing · songwriting · mental health · music accessibility

• Disclosure Matters: How Self-Disclosure Statements in Song Signing Videos Shape d/Deaf Audiences' Acceptance of Culturally Sensitive Content

  Suhyeon Yoo, Somang Nam, Mark Chignell, Khai N. Truong · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates whether self-disclosure statements (SDS) — short first-person texts in which a song signer describes their identity, motivations, training, and relationship to the Deaf community — can improve how d/Deaf audiences receive song signing videos on…

  self-disclosure · Deaf culture · song signing · cultural appropriation · sign language

• Harmonizing the Senses: Designing a Cross-Modal Interactive Art System to Enhance Older Adults' Affective Experiences

  SiHan An, Yifan Wu, Zihan Zhang, Yuanlinxi Li, Mengqi Jiang, Jiaxin Zhang, Qingchuan Li · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates how cross-modal correspondence and congruency across visual, auditory, and kinetic modalities shape older adults' affective experiences in digital art systems, and how an AI-infused drawing mode can scaffold those experiences. The authors frame…

  older adults · multisensory stimulation · affective computing · cross-modal correspondence · generative AI

• Robot-Assisted Social Dining as a White Glove Service

  Atharva S Kashyap, Ugne Aleksandra Morkute, Patricia Alves-Oliveira · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper addresses a gap in the robot-assisted feeding literature: existing systems are almost exclusively evaluated in the lab or the home for solitary dining, leaving public, social contexts such as restaurants largely unstudied. The authors argue that social dining…

  assistive robotics · robot-assisted feeding · speculative design · participatory design · generative AI

• I Can Do It: Exploring Voice Assistants for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

  Madhuka Nadeeshani, Jacqueline Johnstone, Kirsten Ellis, Swamy Ananthanarayan · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper reports an eight-week deployment of screen-based voice assistants (Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show 8) with 17 adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) — including co-occurring autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Rett syndrome, and partial trisomy…

  voice assistant · intellectual disability · smart display · cognitive accessibility · qualitative research

• Movement as Medium: Personalisation of Instruments for Inclusive Creative Expression in Disability-Led Performance

  Sam Trolland, Melinda Smith, Alon Ilsar, Jon McCormack · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 practice-based case study argues for personalisation — rather than generalised accessibility — as a design methodology for embodied gestural instruments used by performers with physical disability. The authors frame their contribution against Accessible Digital…

  accessible digital musical instrument · gestural interaction · co-design · participatory design · physical disability

• Navigating Financial Lives: How Autistic Adults Adapt Financial Technologies, Tools and Strategies

  Helena Lyhme, Belen Barros Pena, Stephanie Wilson · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper is, to the authors' knowledge, the first HCI study of how autistic adults navigate their financial lives — budgeting, banking, bill-paying, saving, managing unpredictability — using, adapting, and re-inventing financial technologies. The authors ground the…

  autism · neurodiversity · fintech · financial accessibility · moneywork

• Are You Comfortable Sharing It?: Leveraging Image Obfuscation Techniques to Enhance Sharing Privacy for Blind and Visually Impaired Users

  Satabdi Das, Nahian Beente Firuj, Manjot Singh, Arshad Nasser, Khalad Hasan · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper addresses a privacy gap in how blind and visually impaired (BVI) users share photos: because they cannot visually inspect what they capture, images routinely contain sensitive or inappropriate content (identifiable people, nudity, documents with credentials,…

  blind and low vision · privacy · image obfuscation · visual description services · user study

• "Chasing Shadows": Understanding Personal Data Externalization and Self-Tracking for Neurodivergent Individuals

  Tanya Rudberg Selin, Danielle Uneus, Soren Knudsen · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper examines a mismatch between the promises of self-tracking and personal informatics — rich self-awareness, reflection, insight — and the lived experience of neurodivergent individuals, for whom stable routines, generalised Likert items, and internal…

  self-tracking · personal informatics · neurodiversity · autism · ADHD

• "It's trained by non-disabled people": Evaluating How Image Quality Affects Product Captioning with Vision-Language Models

  Kapil Garg, Xinru Tang, Jimin Heo, Dwayne R. Morgan, Darren Gergle, Erik B. Sudderth, Anne Marie Piper · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Garg and colleagues investigate how well Vision-Language Models (VLMs) caption product images taken by blind and low-vision (BLV) people — a high-stakes everyday task that increasingly depends on tools like Be My AI, Microsoft Seeing AI, and general-purpose assistants such as…

  blind and low vision · vision-language models · image captioning · product identification · hallucinations

• From Performers to Creators: Understanding Retired Women's Perceptions of Technology-Enhanced Dance Performance

  Danlin Zheng, Xiaoying Wei, Chao Liu, Quanyu Zhang, Jingling Zhang, Shihui Guo, Mingming Fan · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Zheng and colleagues study how interactive-dance and generative-AI technologies can be designed around the needs of retired women dancers in China — a population estimated at over 100 million, for whom community dance is a major post-retirement practice but where stage…

  aging · older adults · interactive dance · AIGC · large language models

• Autiverse: Eliciting Autistic Adolescents' Daily Narratives through AI-guided Multimodal Journaling

  Migyeong Yang, Kyungah Lee, Jinyoung Han, SoHyun Park, Young-Ho Kim · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Yang and colleagues present Autiverse, a tablet-based AI-guided multimodal journaling app for autistic adolescents with functional verbal abilities (formerly classified as Level 1 / high-functioning autism). The paper addresses a well-documented gap: although journaling is an…

  autism · adolescents · journaling · large language models · conversational agents

• VR Calm Plus: Coupling a Squeezable Tangible Interaction with Immersive VR for Stress Regulation

  He Zhang, Xinyang Li, Xingyu Zhou, Xinyi Fu · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Zhang and colleagues build and evaluate VR Calm Plus, a VR stress-regulation system that pairs an immersive Meta Quest 3 experience with a squeezable plush toy instrumented with two force-sensitive resistors (FSRs) and a wireless biosensing wristband measuring…

  virtual reality · stress management · haptics · affective haptics · tangible interaction

• Giving Meaning to Movements: Challenges and Opportunities in Expanding Communication by Pairing Unaided AAC with Speech Generated Messages

  Imran Kabir, Sharon Ann Redmon, Lynn R. Elko, Kevin Williams, Mitchell A. Case, Dawn J. Sowers, Krista Wilkinson, Syed Masum Billah · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Kabir and colleagues tackle a long-standing split in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): aided AAC — speech-generating devices, symbol boards, tablet apps — produces standardised, intelligible output but is slow, visually demanding, and awkward when partners are…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · motor impairment · speech impairment · wearable technology

• Autistic Adults' Perspectives on Self-Expression and Dyadic vs. Group Interactions in AR Telepresence

  Mahrukh Tauseef, Alexandra Watkins, Zalen Ingram, Rendong Zhang, Akshith Ullal, Ritam Ghosh, Amy Sue Weitlauf, Zachary Warren, Nilanjan Sarkar · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates how autistic adults experience augmented reality (AR) telepresence as a medium for social interaction, a population whose needs are largely absent from existing avatar and social VR/AR research. Motivated by the high prevalence of social…

  autism · augmented reality · avatars · social presence · telepresence

• When the World Opens Up: Journeys of People with Intellectual Disabilities in Social Virtual Reality

  Alexandra Covaci, Winnie Tsang, Sophia Ppali, Paraskevi Triantafyllopoulou, Monica Perusquia-Hernandez, Oscar Zhou, Fotis Liarokapis, Marios Constantinides, Mohamed Khamis, Shujun Li · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper challenges the dominant remedial paradigm in HCI research on virtual reality and people with intellectual disabilities (ID), which has largely framed VR as a tool for training functional life skills (cooking, shopping, transport) in scripted, controlled…

  intellectual disability · virtual reality · social VR · VRChat · disability justice

• Lost in Translation: Understanding Autistic-Neurotypical Communication Style Differences in Job Postings

  Huining Feng, Zinat Ara, Andrew Hundt, Slobodan Vucetic, John Joon Young Chung, Sungsoo Ray Hong · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates a concrete and consequential site of autistic-neurotypical (NT) communication mismatch: the written job posting. Autistic adults face an approximately 85% unemployment or underemployment rate (compared to 4% in the general US population), and…

  autism · autistic communication · communication style differences · autistic employment · double empathy problem

• Navigating Neurodivergence with AI Chatbots: Benefits, Tensions, and Implications for HCI

  Deepak Giri, Erin Brady, Megh Marathe · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 short paper presents a qualitative interview study of how neurodivergent adults use AI chatbots (primarily ChatGPT) in everyday life, and what tensions arise. The authors conducted 23 semi-structured, 50-minute Zoom interviews with participants recruited via…

  neurodivergence · AI chatbots · ADHD · autism · masking

• GenRole: Personalizing Role Play for Educators Supporting Autistic Students' Social Interaction Learning

  Yixuan Li, Keyi Zeng, Jiaqi Zong, Yingying Zhang, Hongzhu Deng, Li Wang, Xin Tong · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper introduces GenRole, a generative-AI system that helps educators build personalised role-play activities for teaching social interaction skills to autistic children. Motivated by the gap between role-play as a well-evidenced teaching method for autistic…

  generative AI · personalization · social skills training · autistic children · role play

• Tinged with Heartbreak: An Ethnographic Account of Navigating Autistic Loneliness and the Fragile Promise of AI Companionship

  Anna Hollis · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper is a reflexive ethnographic case study (n=1) of 'Andrea', a middle-aged autistic businesswoman in the Western world, and her six-month relationship with Xander, a Replika AI companion she ultimately lost to a corrupting software update. Anna Hollis, a…

  chatbot companions · autism · grief · technological instability · AI companionship

• MoveTogether: Exploring Physical Co-op Gameplay in Mixed-Reality

  Pin Chun Lu, Wen-Fan Wang, Che Wei Wang, Ting-Ying Lee, TsaiHsuan Lin, Duo-Jie Hsiao, CheHan Hsieh, YuTing Tseng, Neng-Hao Yu, Mike Y. Chen · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper introduces MoveTogether, a mixed-reality (MR) co-op gameplay mechanic in which two co-located players jointly operate a single tracked physical prop that is virtually transformed inside a Meta Quest 3 MR scene (a ring, a trampoline, a bubble nozzle). The core…

  mixed reality · shared haptic controller · co-located collaboration · tangible interaction · accessible gaming

• GuideMe: A VLM-Based System Assisting Independent Smartphone Learning for Older Adults

  Kairong Fang, Jiesi Zhang, Shi-Ting Ni, Pan Hui, Yuyang Wang · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  GuideMe tackles a problem familiar to anyone who has watched an older relative struggle to learn a new smartphone app: the combined weight of declining vision, memory, and motor function plus unfamiliar terminology makes independent learning extremely difficult, while in-person…

  older adults · aging · cognitive accessibility · vision-language model · conversational agent

• Shared Stories, Shared Bonds: People with Dementia Exploring Generative AI Together

  Teis Arets, Maarten Houben, Fleur van Haeren, Wijnand IJsselsteijn, Giulia Perugia · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper reports on a qualitative workshop study examining how people living with mild to moderate dementia engage with three generative AI tools - Microsoft Copilot (text), Midjourney (images), and Suno (music) - in a group setting, and what forms of social connectedness…

  dementia · generative AI · social connectedness · cognitive accessibility · aging

• ElectroGrasp: Electrotactile Aids for Visually Impaired Individuals in Anticipatory Planning and Control of Grasp

  Hechuan Zhang, Rufei Song, Ruoyan Liu, Shengsheng Jiang, Xiaohui Tan, Tianren Luo, Yulin Jin, Hongnan Lin, Teng Han, Feng Tian · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Sighted people pre-shape their hand before touching an object - a visually-driven anticipatory grasp plan that visually impaired (VI) users cannot form, leading to the characteristic 'double grip' (initial contact followed by compensatory regrasp) that is slower, less confident,…

  blind and low vision · electrotactile feedback · haptic technology · assistive technology · wearable technology

• Collaboration and Assistive Technology: Facilitating Joint Awareness for Noise Sensitivity

  Emani Hicks, Luc Rieffel, Ariya Gowda, Aehong Min, Gillian R Hayes · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  People with noise sensitivity (PWNS) - including those with misophonia, hyperacusis, and tinnitus, and overlapping strongly with the autistic community (estimated 45% prevalence) - experience everyday sounds as painful, distressing, or overwhelming. Existing supports are patchy:…

  noise sensitivity · misophonia · hyperacusis · sensory processing · autism