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• Game Changer: Accessible Audio and Tactile Guidance for Board and Card Games

  Gabriella M. Johnson, Shaun K. Kane · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents Game Changer, an augmented workspace system that makes board and card games accessible to blind and visually impaired (BVI) players through a combination of audio descriptions and tactile modifications. The system uses an overhead webcam to track ArUco…

  game accessibility · blind and low vision · board games · tangible interaction · audio description

• Indoor Localization for Visually Impaired Travelers Using Computer Vision on a Smartphone

  Giovanni Fusco, James M. Coughlan · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents a computer vision-based indoor localization system that runs as a real-time app on a conventional iPhone, designed to help blind and visually impaired travelers navigate indoor spaces where GPS is unavailable. The system combines several technologies into a…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · computer vision · visual impairment · blindness

• A Return to Community: Flintstones or Jetsons?

  Vivienne Conway · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This keynote-style paper uses the cultural lens of two iconic 1960s cartoons — The Flintstones and The Jetsons — to reflect on how automation and technology are shaping the lives of people with disabilities. Dr. Conway, writing from Western Australia during the early days of the…

  digital accessibility · automation · assistive technology · disability representation · home automation

• A Saliency-Driven Video Magnifier for People with Low Vision

  Ali Selman Aydin, Shirin Feiz, Vikas Ashok, I V Ramakrishnan · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents SViM (Saliency-driven Video Magnifier), a system that uses deep learning-based visual saliency prediction to automatically guide screen magnification to the most important regions of a video for people with low vision. Screen magnifiers are the…

  low vision · screen magnifier · video accessibility · computer vision · deep learning

• Using a participatory activities toolkit to elicit privacy expectations of adaptive assistive technologies

  Foad Hamidi, Kellie Poneres, Aaron Massey, Amy Hurst · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses a critical but often overlooked tension in assistive technology design: the privacy tradeoff inherent in adaptive assistive technologies (AATs) that must collect and analyze user performance data to function effectively. The authors developed a participatory…

  privacy · assistive technology · adaptive systems · participatory design · essential tremor

• TableView: Enabling Efficient Access to Web Data Records for Screen-Magnifier Users

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

  This paper addresses a significant usability challenge faced by people with low vision who use screen magnifiers to browse the web: the difficulty of comparing data records on websites such as job listings, flight search results, shopping products, and restaurant listings.…

  low vision · screen magnifier · web accessibility · usability · browser extension

• Bridging the Divide: Exploring the use of digital and physical technology to aid mobility impaired people living in an informal settlement

  Giulia Barbareschi, Ben Oldfrey, Long Xin, Grace Nyachomba Magomere, Wycliffe Ambeyi Wetende, Carol Wanjira, Joyce Olenja, Victoria Austin, Catherine Holloway · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This qualitative study examines how people with mobility impairments living in Kibera, one of the largest informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, use both traditional assistive technology (wheelchairs and tricycles) and digital technology (mobile phones) in their daily lives.…

  mobility impairment · assistive technology · wheelchairs · mobile phones · informal settlements

• Value beyond function: analyzing the perception of wheelchair innovations in Kenya

  Giulia Barbareschi, Sibylle Daymond, Jake Honeywill, Aneesha Singh, Dominic Noble, Nancy N. Mbugua, Ian Harris, Victoria Austin, Catherine Holloway · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This study evaluates a novel wheelchair service provision model called InnovATe, developed by Motivation UK, that uses Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing to manufacture bespoke wheelchairs in Kenya. Over five months at the Bethany Kids rehabilitation centre in Joytown,…

  wheelchairs · assistive technology · 3D printing · emotional design · service delivery

• Designing Embodied Musical Interaction for Children with Autism

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

  This paper presents OSMoSIS (Observation of Social Motor Synchrony with an Interactive System), an interactive musical system designed to support embodied musical interaction for children with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) during music therapy sessions. Developed by the…

  autism · music therapy · embodied interaction · motion capture · sonification

• The Role of Sensory Changes in Everyday Technology use by People with Mild to Moderate Dementia

  Emma Dixon, Amanda Lazar · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This qualitative study investigates how sensory changes associated with dementia interact with everyday technology use — a topic almost entirely overlooked in prior research, which has focused predominantly on cognitive support such as memory aids, task simplification, and…

  dementia · sensory changes · everyday technology · personalization · cognitive accessibility

• Assistive Technology Design as a Computer Science Learning Experience

  Thomas B. McHugh, Cooper Barth · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper from Northwestern University addresses a persistent gap in computer science education: the near-complete absence of accessibility topics from non-HCI computer science courses. The authors first conducted a formative needfinding study with 16 undergraduate CS students…

  computer science education · assistive technology · inclusive design · accessibility pedagogy · allyship

• Understanding In-Situ Use of Commonly Available Navigation Technologies by People with Visual Impairments

  Vaishnav Kameswaran, Jatin Gureja, Joyojeet Pal, Sile O'Modhrain, Tiffany L. Ye, Jon Froehlich, Leah Findlater, Meredith Ringel Morris · 2020 · ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents a qualitative study investigating how people with visual impairments use commonly available navigation technologies in their daily lives. Conducted by researchers at Microsoft Research and the University of Michigan, the study involved semi-structured…

  visual impairments · navigation · wayfinding · assistive technology · complementarity

• Understanding Audio Production Practices of People with Vision Impairments

  Abir Saha, Anne Marie Piper · 2020 · ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents the first detailed empirical study of how people with vision impairments use digital audio production tools in their personal and professional work. Through semi-structured interviews with 18 blind and visually impaired audio professionals and hobbyists —…

  visual impairments · audio production · creative content production · screen readers · assistive technology

• Smooth Sailing? Autoethnography of Recreational Travel by a Blind Person

  Kate Stephens, Matthew Butler, Leona M Holloway, Cagatay Goncu, Kim Marriott · 2020 · ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents the first autoethnographic study of a blind traveller, documenting Kate Stephens' (the first author) experience planning and undertaking a 28-day cruise around Australia with her vision-impaired husband. Kate, a 63-year-old who has been blind all her life, is…

  visual impairments · travel · autoethnography · orientation and mobility · tactile maps

• Action Blocks: Making Mobile Technology Accessible for People with Cognitive Disabilities

  Lia Carrari, Rain Michaels, Ajit Narayanan, Lei Shi, Xiang Xiao · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This demonstration paper presents Action Blocks, an Android application developed by Google that simplifies mobile device interactions for people with cognitive disabilities. The app allows users or their caregivers to create customizable one-tap buttons on the device home…

  cognitive accessibility · mobile accessibility · assistive technology · aging in place · augmentative and alternative communication

• Action Blocks: Making Mobile Technology Accessible for People with Cognitive Disabilities

  Lia Carrari, Rain Michaels, Ajit Narayanan, Lei Shi, Xiang Xiao · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents Action Blocks, a Google Android application designed to make mobile technology accessible to people with cognitive disabilities. The core problem the paper addresses is that modern smartphones require complex multi-step interactions — finding…

  cognitive accessibility · mobile accessibility · assistive technology · aging in place · augmentative and alternative communication

• Reading Experiences and Interest in Reading-Assistance Tools Among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Computing Professionals

  Oliver Alonzo, Lisa Elliot, Becca Dingman, Matt Huenerfauth · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This study investigates whether Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) computing professionals are interested in Automatic Text Simplification (ATS) tools to assist with reading in their professional work. ATS software rewrites text to improve readability using lexical simplification…

  deaf and hard of hearing · automatic text simplification · reading accessibility · natural language processing · assistive technology

• Eyelid Gestures on Mobile Devices for People with Motor Impairments

  Mingming Fan, Zhen Li, Franklin Mingzhe Li · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents a novel approach to mobile device interaction for people with severe motor impairments: using eyelid gestures detected by the smartphone's front-facing camera. While existing eye-based interaction research has primarily focused on gaze direction and simple…

  motor accessibility · mobile accessibility · input methods · gesture interaction · eye tracking

• 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