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• Anthropomorphism in Human-Robot Interactions with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Robots

  Saminda Sundeepa Balasuriya, Laurianne Sitbon, Alicia Mitchell · 2026 · Journal of Human-Robot Interaction

  This qualitative study re-analyses video data from two prior field studies with an Australian disability service organisation, in which adults with intellectual disabilities interacted with two commercially available social robots: Pepper, a 120 cm humanoid with articulated…

  intellectual disability · human-robot interaction · social robots · anthropomorphism · inclusive design

• I Can't Keep Up: Accessibility Barriers in Video-Based Learning for Individuals with Borderline Intellectual Functioning

  Hyehyun Chu, Seungju Kim, Chen Zhou, Yu-Kai Hung, Saelyne Yang, Hyun W. Ka, Juho Kim · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper by Chu, Kim, Zhou, Hung, Yang, Ka, and Kim (KAIST and SkillBench) examines accessibility barriers in video-based learning (VBL) for individuals with Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF)—people with IQ scores roughly 70–85 who represent about 13.6% of the…

  cognitive accessibility · video-based learning · video accessibility · borderline intellectual functioning · intellectual disability

• How to design cognitively accessible digital design patterns for booking tickets: A participative study with Easy-to-Read users.

  Sabina Sieghart, Björn Rohles, Kim Corti, Trang Nguyen, Ann Bessemans · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Sieghart and colleagues tackle a persistent gap in cognitive accessibility research: digital design patterns are almost never validated with Easy-to-Read (ETR) users — adults with intellectual disabilities who can read at a basic level. The paper reports a participatory design…

  cognitive accessibility · Easy-to-Read · intellectual disability · participatory design · digital design patterns

• Co-Design of Technology with and for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review of Methods and Inclusion Strategies

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

  This scoping review examines how people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and their support networks have been involved in the co-design of technology, addressing a persistent gap: despite HCI's growing emphasis on inclusive design, people with ID remain markedly…

  co-design · intellectual disability · participatory design · inclusive design · scoping review

• Supporting Money Management among Adults with Down Syndrome: A Multi-Technology Probe Study

  Hailey L. Johnson, Heidi Spalitta, Callie Y. Kim, Bilge Mutlu · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Johnson, Spalitta, Kim, and Mutlu designed three cash-based budgeting technology probes for adults with Down syndrome (AwDS) and ran a comparative usage study with seven participants aged 19-39. The work is motivated by a gap between special-education financial curricula (which…

  Down syndrome · intellectual disability · assistive technology · financial accessibility · augmented reality

• 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

• 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

• Steering Generative Models for Accessibility: EasyRead Image Generation

  Nicolas Dickenmann, Yanis Merzouki, Sonia Laguna, Thy Nowak-Tran, Emanuele Palumbo, Julia E. Vogt, Gerda Binder · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  Dickenmann and colleagues (ETH Zurich and UNICEF Digital Impact Division) present the first open-source pipeline for generating Easy Read-style pictograms using a fine-tuned diffusion model. Easy Read pairs short sentences with simple, high-contrast pictograms to support…

  diffusion models · stable diffusion · LoRA · generative AI · cognitive accessibility

• A Review of 25 Years of Human-Computer Interaction Research on Reading Support Technologies for People with Disabilities Published in the ACM Digital Library

  Oliver Alonzo, Saad Hassan · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This systematic literature review analyzes 101 HCI publications from ACM venues spanning 2000 to 2024 that focus on reading support technologies for people with disabilities. The authors developed a comprehensive coding rubric covering publication metadata, contribution types,…

  systematic literature review · reading support · reading disability · dyslexia · blind or low vision

• Designing an Accessible Mobile Makerspace with an Intellectual Disability Support Organisation

  Jacqueline Johnstone, Madhuka Nadeeshani, Troy McGee, Kirsten Ellis, Swamy Ananthanarayan · 2025 · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2025)

  This paper presents the co-design process and outcomes of developing an accessible mobile makerspace (a converted van) for a multisite Disability Support Organisation (DSO) in Australia that runs an eMaking program for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Despite the…

  intellectual disability · makerspace · co-design · bodystorming · participatory design

• Digital Independence Linked to Functional Independence among Adults with Intellectual Disability

  Theja Kuruppu Arachchi, Laurianne Sitbon, Jinglan Zhang, Stewart Koplick, Maria Hoogstrate, Margot Brereton · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates the relationship between digital independence (the ability to access and use digital technologies for information) and functional independence (the ability to perform daily living tasks) among adults with intellectual disability. The researchers recruited…

  intellectual disability · executive function · digital independence · functional independence · health information seeking

• Accessible Technology for Adults with Down Syndrome: A Scoping Review

  Hailey L. Johnson, Bilge Mutlu · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This scoping review synthesizes 20 peer-reviewed publications examining digital technologies designed and used by adults with Down syndrome (AwDS), defined as individuals aged 18 and older. The authors followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searching six academic databases (ACM Digital…

  Down syndrome · intellectual disability · cognitive accessibility · assistive technology · scoping review

• Social Media Apps: A Paradigm for Examining Usability of Mobile Apps for Working-Age Adults with Mild-Moderate Cognitive Disabilities

  Morris Huang, Greg McGrew, Cathy Bodine · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This empirical usability study examines how working-age adults (18-65) with mild-to-moderate cognitive disabilities interact with five mainstream social media apps: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Tumblr. The research addresses a significant gap—while mobile apps…

  cognitive disability · intellectual disability · traumatic brain injury · social media · mobile apps

• Conversational Voice User Interfaces Supporting Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Literature Review

  Franceli L. Cibrian, Concepción Valdez, Lauren Min, Vivian Genaro Motti · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This systematic literature review examines 43 papers published between 1998 and 2023 on the use of Conversational Voice User Interfaces (CVUIs) to support individuals with Down syndrome. Using the PRISMA methodology, the authors searched ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, PubMed,…

  voice user interfaces · Down syndrome · speech recognition · intellectual disability · conversational AI

• From research participant to co-researcher: Chloe's story on co-designing inclusive technologies with people with intellectual disability

  Choe Haidenhofer, Laurianne Sitbon, Chris P Beaumont, Maria Hoogstrate, Jessica L Korte · 2024 · ASSETS 2024: 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This experience report centers the voice of Chloe Haidenhofer, a woman with intellectual disability who has transitioned from research participant to co-researcher over five years of collaboration with the inclusive design technologies team at Queensland University of Technology…

  intellectual disability · co-design · social robots · inclusive research · co-researcher

• Helping or Hindering: Inclusive Design of Automated Task Prompting for Workers with Cognitive Disabilities

  Gavin R. Philips, Morris Huang, Cathy Bodine · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper addresses the significant employment barriers faced by people with cognitive disabilities (PwCDs) in the United States, where only 28.6% of the approximately 8.8 million working-age adults with cognitive disabilities are employed. Those who do find work often receive…

  cognitive disability · intellectual disability · vocational support · employment · assistive technology

• Health Data Visualization Literacy Skills of Young Adults with Down Syndrome and the Barriers to Inference-making

  Rachel Wood, Jinjuan Heidi Feng, Jonathan Lazar · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This exploratory study is the first to examine how young adults with Down Syndrome read and interpret health data visualizations (HDVs). The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with ten participants (ages 16-29) as they viewed six different health visualizations…

  Down Syndrome · data visualization · health informatics · graphicacy · cognitive accessibility

• Cognitive Accessibility of Digital Payments: A Literature Review

  Jiamin Dai, John Miedema, Sebastian Hernandez, Alexandra Sutton-Lalani, Karyn Moffatt · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A '23)

  This literature review examines 30 scholarly publications (2012-2022) to characterize the cognitive accessibility challenges and design strategies for digital payments, focusing on the experiences of older adults and people with neurodiverse needs including dementia,…

  cognitive accessibility · financial technology · digital payments · banking accessibility · older adults

• The Design and Prototyping of an App to Teach Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Empower Them Against Abuse

  Krishna Venkatasubramanian, Tina-Marie Ranalli, Jack Lanoie, Alexander Sinapi, Andrew Laraw Lama, Jeanine Skorinko, Mariah Freark, Nancy Alterio · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents the design and prototyping of "Recognize," a mobile app that empowers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to independently learn about abuse. The work addresses a critical problem: people with I/DD are sexually assaulted seven times…

  intellectual disability · developmental disability · abuse prevention · self-advocacy · co-design

• Designing Post-Trauma Self-Regulation Apps for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

  Krishna Venkatasubramanian, Tina-Marie Ranalli · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper explores how to design mobile apps that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) engage in post-trauma self-regulation (PTSR) — activities that help manage negative emotional effects like anxiety, grief, and stress that arise from traumatic…

  intellectual disability · developmental disability · trauma-informed care · self-regulation · mental health

• Designing with and for People with Intellectual Disabilities

  Leandro Soares Guedes, Ryan Colin Gibson, Kirsten Ellis, Laurianne Sitbon, Monica Landoni · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This workshop paper proposes a half-day community-building event at ASSETS '22 focused on sharing expertise in designing technologies with and for people with intellectual disabilities. The authors identify that while assistive technologies can significantly support the…

  intellectual disability · co-design · participatory design · assistive technology · inclusive design

• Socially Connecting Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Through Inclusive Co-Design of Tangible and Visual Technology

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

  This doctoral consortium paper presents an in-progress PhD research program exploring how tangible and visual technologies can be co-designed with adults who have intellectual disabilities to foster social connections at non-residential learning hubs. The research is motivated…

  intellectual disability · co-design · tangible technology · social connection · participatory design

• A Support Worker Perspective on Use of New Technologies by People with Intellectual Disabilities

  Saminda Sundeepa Balasuriya, Laurianne Sitbon, Margot Brereton · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This qualitative study examines how support workers and managers at Australian disability community day centres perceive and facilitate technology use by people with intellectual disabilities. The researchers interviewed 15 support workers and 5 managers across four centres that…

  intellectual disability · support workers · technology adoption · disability services · co-design

• Measuring Text Comprehension for People with Reading Difficulties Using a Mobile Application

  Andreas Säuberli · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This extended abstract presents a mobile touchscreen application designed to measure text comprehension for people with reading difficulties, specifically targeting users of Easy Language — simplified text used to make information accessible to people with intellectual…

  readability · intellectual disability · easy language · reading accessibility · cognitive accessibility

• WLA4ND: a Wearable Dataset of Learning Activities for Young Adults with Neurodiversity to Provide Support in Education

  Hui Zheng, Pattiya Mahapasuthanon, Yujing Chen, Huzefa Rangwala, Anya S Evmenova, Vivian Genaro Motti · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21)

  This paper introduces WLA4ND (Wearable Learning Activities for Neurodiversity), the first wearable sensor dataset of learning activities collected from young adults with neurodiversity. While existing wearable sensor datasets focus on fitness, daily living, and locomotion…

  neurodiversity · wearable technology · machine learning · activity recognition · inclusive education