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• How Does Delegation in Social Interaction Evolve Over Time? Navigation with a Robot for Blind People

  Rayna Hata, Masaki Kuribayashi, Allan Wang, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Hata and colleagues run a three-week longitudinal study of how six blind participants delegate social navigation tasks to a guide robot in the Miraikan science museum. The paper pushes back against the default assumption that accessible navigation robots should be as autonomous…

  assistive robotics · navigation · blindness and low vision · visual impairment · shared control

• Robot-Assisted Group Tours for Blind People

  Yaxin Hu, Masaki Kuribayashi, Allan Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Bilge Mutlu, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Hu and colleagues investigate how an assistive mobile robot can support blind people's participation in mixed-visual group tours, where blind and sighted visitors share the same guided experience. The motivation is that group activities are central to social life, but blind…

  assistive robotics · museum accessibility · blindness and low vision · visual impairment · group activities

• Resilience to Disruption: Accessible Navigation for People with Visual Impairment

  Trevor Cross, Ishani Pandey, Sophia S Jit, Robert Soden, Priyank Chandra · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper investigates how people with visual impairments (PwVI) actually navigate urban environments, especially during severe weather events such as snowstorms, high winds, and icy conditions, and how digital navigation technologies do or do not support those practices. The…

  blind and low vision · navigation · wayfinding · orientation and mobility · crisis informatics

• SceneScout: Towards AI-Driven Access to Street Level Imagery for Blind Users

  Gaurav Jain, Leah Findlater, Cole Gleason · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Jain, Findlater and Gleason present SceneScout, a prototype web interface that uses a multimodal large language model (GPT-4o) to make street level imagery — the panoramic pedestrian-height photography behind Apple Maps Look Around and Google Street View — directly usable by…

  accessibility · navigation · screen readers · AI · multimodal AI

• Probing the Gaps in ChatGPT's Live Video Chat for Real-World Assistance for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired

  Ruei-Che Chang, Rosiana Natalie, Wenqian Xu, Jovan Zheng Feng Yap, Anhong Guo · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper evaluates ChatGPT's Advanced Voice with Video feature — OpenAI's state-of-the-art live video AI released in December 2024 — as a real-world assistive tool for blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals. The researchers conducted an in-person exploratory study with…

  blind · visually impaired · large multimodal models · live video · ChatGPT

• Check Now, Can You See It?: Exploring Voice and Video-Capable Language Models for Identifying and Spatially Locating Items of Interest for Blind and Low-Vision Travelers

  Aziz N Zeidieh, JooYoung Seo · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This experience report documents the lived experiences of two blind travelers — Aziz (28, blind in left eye, 20/2200 in right) and JooYoung (35, blind in right eye, limited vision in left) — as they adapted commercially available voice and video-capable language models (VVLMs)…

  artificial intelligence · navigation · blindness and visual impairment · multimodal AI · large language models

• How Can Haptic Feedback Assist People with Blind and Low Vision (BLV): A Systematic Literature Review

  Chutian Jiang, Emily Kuang, Mingming Fan · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive systematic literature review examines 20 years (2004–2024) of research on haptic assistive tools for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV), analyzing 132 papers from 11 major HCI venues including CHI, ASSETS, UIST, and IEEE Haptics. The review…

  haptic feedback · blind and low vision · assistive technology · systematic review · tactile graphics

• Field Trials of Autonomous Navigation Robot for Visually Impaired People

  Hironobu Takagi, Kakuya Naito, Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Murata, Seita Kayukawa, Chieko Asakawa · 2025 · Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '25)

  This paper reports field trials of AI Suitcase, an autonomous navigation robot shaped like a conventional carry-on suitcase and designed to guide blind and visually impaired (BVI) travellers safely through unfamiliar public spaces. The system traces its origins to the CaBot…

  assistive robotics · blindness and low vision · navigation · indoor navigation · wayfinding

• "Seven Stitches Later": A Technologically Interdependent Travel Experience From The Perspective Of A Visually Impaired Individual

  Aziz N Zeidieh · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This autoethnographic experience report presents a technologically interdependent travel framework developed from over ten years of first-hand travel experience by the author, a visually impaired individual. The paper's title references a real injury — seven stitches from…

  visual impairment · travel · navigation · orientation and mobility · autoethnography

• "We are at the mercy of others' opinion": Supporting Blind People in Recreational Window Shopping with AI-infused Technology

  Rie Kamikubo, Hernisa Kacorri, Chieko Asakawa · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This paper investigates how AI-powered navigation technology can support blind people in recreational window shopping — an activity that sighted people take for granted but remains largely inaccessible to those without vision. Researchers from the University of Maryland and…

  blindness · navigation · guide robots · wayfinding · recreational accessibility

• 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

• In-Page Navigation Aids for Screen-Reader Users with Automatic Topicalisation and Labelling

  Jorge Sassaki Resende Silva, Paula Christina Figueira Cardoso, Raphael Winckler De Bettio, Daniela Cardoso Tavares, Carlos Alberto Silva, Willian Massami Watanabe, Andre Pimenta Freire · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper addresses a fundamental challenge for screen reader users: navigating lengthy web documents that lack proper heading structure. When web pages do not include semantic headings or internal navigation links, users must read content linearly, which increases cognitive…

  screen readers · navigation · natural language processing · topic segmentation · large language models

• On the independent and sustainable mobility of people with visual impairments

  Gabriele Galimberti · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A '23)

  This doctoral consortium extended abstract outlines a research project investigating the factors that enable or hinder independent mobility for people with blindness or visual impairments (BVI), with a particular focus on the link between mobility autonomy and environmental…

  visual impairment · blind and low vision · independent living · public transportation · navigation

• "I stepped into a puddle": Non-Visual Texting in Nomadic Contexts

  Pegah Karimi, Erin Brady, Aqueasha Martin-Hammond, Davide Bolchini · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A '23)

  This study investigates the under-explored practice of texting by people who are blind and visually impaired (BVI) while navigating outdoors — what the authors term "nomadic contexts." While previous research has examined accessible text entry methods (screen readers, speech…

  blind and low vision · text entry · mobile accessibility · navigation · assistive technology

• 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

• Beyond the Cane: Describing Urban Scenes to Blind People for Mobility Tasks

  Karin M. P. Hoogsteen, Florian Mathis, Garreth W. Tigwell, Alastair R. Beresford, Mohamed Khamis · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research investigates what environmental information is most useful for blind pedestrians navigating urban spaces, moving beyond obstacle-avoidance to understand comprehensive scene description needs. The authors conducted two experiments with 13 cane-using blind…

  blindness · mobility · orientation and mobility · navigation · scene description

• Opportunities for Supporting Self-efficacy Through Orientation & Mobility Training Technologies for Blind and Partially Sighted People

  Maryam Bandukda, Catherine Holloway, Aneesha Singh, Giulia Barbareschi, Nadia Berthouze · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper examines how orientation and mobility (O&M) training shapes the self-efficacy beliefs of blind and partially sighted (BPS) people and identifies opportunities for technology to better support O&M training. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 20…

  orientation and mobility · blind and low vision · self-efficacy · assistive technology · navigation

• Investigating the Navigational Habits of People who are Blind in India

  Anirudh Nagraj, Ravi Kuber, Foad Hamidi, Raghavendra SG Prasad · 2021 · The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2021)

  This paper presents a qualitative study of the navigational experiences of 14 people who are legally blind in the Bangalore metropolitan area of India, a low and middle income country (LMIC) where infrastructure conditions differ substantially from the high income countries…

  visual impairments · blindness · navigation · wayfinding · assistive technology

• Auditory feedback to compensate audible instructions to support people with visual impairment

  Gabriele Galimberti · 2021 · ASSETS '21: The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This doctoral consortium extended abstract addresses a practical challenge faced by people with visual impairments who rely on auditory feedback from mobile devices: background noise in real-world mobility contexts can mask device audio output, degrading the information it…

  visual impairment · auditory feedback · sonification · mobile accessibility · navigation

• VStroll: An Audio-based Virtual Exploration to Encourage Walking among People with Vision Impairments

  Gesu India, Mohit Jain, Pallav Karya, Nirmalendu Diwakar, Manohar Swaminathan · 2021 · ASSETS '21: The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  People with visual impairments (PVIs) engage in significantly less physical exercise than sighted adults, with 1.5 times higher odds of obesity. Barriers include inaccessible infrastructure, parental discouragement due to safety concerns, lack of walking partners, and the…

  visual impairment · blindness · physical activity · walking · spatial audio

• Towards Designing Mobile Apps for Independent Travel: Exploring Current Barriers and Opportunities for Supporting Young Adults with Down's Syndrome

  A. M. Khan, P. Langdon, J. Bichard, P. J. Clarkson, S. Tunnard, L. Dubiel, P. Dunlop, M. Lennon · 2021 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive study uses a three-cycle Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology to understand barriers to independent travel for young adults with Down's Syndrome (DS) and develop a smartphone app prototype to address them. The research involved young adults with DS…

  Down syndrome · intellectual disabilities · independent travel · public transport accessibility · wayfinding

• 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

• 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

• Keep Your Distance: A Playful Haptic Navigation Wearable for Individuals with Deafblindness

  James Gay, Moritz Umfahrer, Arthur Theil, Lea Buchweitz, Eva Lindell, Li Guo, Nils-Krister Persson, Oliver Korn · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents a haptic wearable vest designed to support independent navigation for people with deafblindness — a dual sensory impairment where the combination of sight and hearing loss makes it difficult for one sense to compensate for the other. Most…

  deafblindness · haptic technology · vibrotactile feedback · navigation · wearable technology

• PLACES: A Framework for Supporting Blind and Partially Sighted People in Outdoor Leisure Activities

  Maryam Bandukda, Catherine Holloway, Aneesha Singh, Nadia Berthouze · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '20)

  This paper investigates the experiences and needs of blind and partially sighted people (BPSP) when engaging in outdoor leisure activities, particularly visiting parks and natural environments. The researchers conducted a multi-method qualitative study comprising an online…

  blindness · outdoor accessibility · wayfinding · leisure · navigation