Reviews

Search results

• Do-It-Yourself AAC: Co-Designing User-Programmable AI Communication Tools with People with Aphasia

  Jong Ho Lee, Stephanie Valencia · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Lee and Valencia explore how people with aphasia (PWA) can become designers of their own AI-powered augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools rather than users of rigid, pre-built systems. The authors note that aphasia, a language disorder typically resulting from…

  aphasia · AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · end-user programming · generative AI

• I, Robot? Exploring Ultra-Personalized AI-Powered AAC; an Autoethnographic Account

  Tobias M Weinberg, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Stephanie Valencia, Thijs Roumen · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper is a multi-month autoethnographic study by an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) user-researcher who fine-tuned a personalized large language model on his own communication data and then used it as the suggestion engine in his everyday speech-generating…

  AAC · autoethnography · large language models · personalization · agency

• A Personalized and Adaptable User Interface for a Speech and Cursor Brain-Computer Interface

  Hamza Peracha, Carrina Iacobacci, Tyler Singer-Clark, Leigh R Hochberg, Sergey D. Stavisky, David M. Brandman, Nicholas S Card · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper reports on the user interface design for an intracortical brain-computer interface (BCI) deployed for everyday at-home use by people with severe paralysis. The work centers on a 22-month longitudinal co-design study with one BrainGate2 trial participant, T15 - a…

  brain-computer interface · AAC · ALS · amyotrophic lateral sclerosis · paralysis

• 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

• 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

• Say It My Way: Exploring Control in Conversational Visual Question Answering with Blind Users

  Farnaz Zamiri Zeraati, Yang Cao, Yuehan Qiao, Hal Daumé III, Hernisa Kacorri · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates how blind users can exert control over responses generated by conversational visual question answering (VQA) systems built on vision-language models. While prompting and steering techniques are well established in general-purpose generative AI,…

  blind users · generative AI · visual question answering · VQA · personalization

• SituFont: A Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention Interface for Enhancing Mobile Readability in Situational Visual Impairments

  Jingruo Chen, Kexin Nie, Mingshan Zhang, Chun Yu, Zhiqi Gao, Kun Yue, Yuanchun Shi, Chen Liang · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  SituFont is a smartphone reading interface that treats situational visual impairment (SVI) as a first-class design target and dynamically adjusts font parameters in response to real-time context. The authors argue that static accessibility settings and one-off manual adjustments…

  situational visual impairment · situationally induced impairments and disabilities · adaptive typography · just-in-time adaptive intervention · human-in-the-loop

• Turning the Knobs of Musical Emotion: Designing Emotion-Oriented Audio Control Interface for Cochlear Implant Users

  Hyojin Kim, Taein Song, Kyung Myun Lee · 2026 · CHI EA '26: Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  Kim, Song, and Lee (KAIST) tackle a persistent but under-designed problem in hearing accessibility: cochlear implant (CI) users can hear music but receive it in a spectrally coarse, pitch-degraded form that blunts emotional perception. Rather than pursue the well-trodden…

  cochlear implant · music accessibility · deaf and hard of hearing · audio interface · musical emotion

• ViDscribe: Multimodal AI for Customizing Audio Description and Question Answering in Online Videos

  Maryam S Cheema, Sina Elahimanesh, Pooyan Fazli, Hasti Seifi · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  Cheema and colleagues (Arizona State University and Saarland University) present ViDscribe, a web platform that layers AI-generated audio description (AD) and conversational visual question answering (VQA) on top of arbitrary YouTube videos for blind and low vision (BLV)…

  video accessibility · audio description · blind and low vision · multimodal large language models · visual question answering

• Modeling Touch Input for Users with Motor Impairments: Empirical Insights into Training Size Requirements

  Radu-Daniel Vatavu, Irina Petrariu, Tudor Horomnea, Ovidiu-Ciprian Ungurean · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  This CHI Extended Abstract addresses a practical question for ability-based design: how many touch observations do you actually need before you can build a user-specific model of someone's touch performance? Most touch modeling work, including Bayesian Touch and the Dual…

  touch input · motor impairment · ability-based design · adaptive interfaces · touchscreen accessibility

• VeasyGuide: Personalized Visual Guidance for Low-vision Learners on Instructor Actions in Presentation Videos

  Mohamad Elayyan Sechayk, Himanshu Singh, Jan Smeddinck, Chakkrit Tantithamthavorn · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper introduces VeasyGuide, a tool designed to make presentation videos more accessible for low-vision (LV) learners by automatically detecting and highlighting instructor actions such as pointing, marking, and sketching. The authors identify a significant gap in current…

  low vision · video accessibility · e-learning · motion detection · visual guidance

• CapTune: Adapting Non-Speech Captions With Anchored Generative Models

  Jeremy Zhengqi Huang, Caluã De Lacerda Pataca, Saelyne Yang Wu, Dhruv Jain · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  CapTune is a system that enables customization of non-speech captions—descriptions of environmental sounds, music, and other audio cues—for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) viewers. Current captioning practices follow a one-size-fits-all model based on standardized guidelines like…

  closed captioning · non-speech information · caption customization · deaf and hard of hearing · generative AI

• DescribePro: Collaborative Audio Description with Human-AI Interaction

  Maryam S Cheema, Sina Elahimanesh, Samuel Martin, Pooyan Fazli, Hasti Seifi · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents DescribePro, a web-based platform that combines human expertise with AI capabilities to create and refine audio descriptions (AD) for video content. The system addresses the fundamental tension in AD production: human-crafted descriptions are high quality but…

  audio description · video accessibility · human-AI collaboration · authoring tools · blind and low vision

• Exploring AI-Fabrication in Shaping the Future of DIY-AT Design: Insights from Makers

  Leila Aflatoony, Mixuan Li, Yiyun Zhang, Irene Jacob, Shujian Xu, Ziqi Tang, Andre Grossberg · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how generative AI can support Do-It-Yourself assistive technology (DIY-AT) design and fabrication. The researchers developed a web-based GenAI interface that combines text-to-image generation (via MidJourney) and image-to-3D model conversion (via Meshy…

  assistive technology · generative AI · digital fabrication · 3D printing · DIY assistive technology

• CuCap: Comparative Analysis of Customized Captioning between North American and South Korean d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Users

  Caluã de Lacerda Pataca, SooYeon Ahn, Suhyeon Yoo, JooYeong Kim, Khai N. Truong, Jin-Hyuk Hong, Roshan L Peiris, Matt Huenerfauth · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper introduces CuCap, a customizable captioning system that allows d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) users to personalize how paralinguistic speech features are visually represented in captions. Traditional captions convey only the words spoken, losing important…

  deaf and hard of hearing · captioning · customization · cross-cultural study · speech prosody

• NoTeeline: Supporting Real-Time, Personalized Notetaking with LLM-Enhanced Micronotes

  Faria Huq, Abdus Samee, David Chuan-En Lin, Alice Xiaodi Tang, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2025 · Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI '25)

  This paper introduces NoTeeline, an interactive notetaking tool that uses LLMs to expand user-written "micronotes" — brief shorthand jottings like "plastic pol. ->" or "RNNs are unrolled l to r or opp" — into full-fledged notes that maintain the user's personal writing style.…

  large language models · writing assistance · personalization · notetaking · cognitive load

• How Do People with Limited Movement Personalize Upper-Body Gestures? Considerations for the Design of Personalized and Accessible Gesture Interfaces

  Momona Yamagami, Alexandra A Portnova-Fahreeva, Junhan Kong, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Jennifer Mankoff · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '23)

  This study investigates how people with upper-body motor impairments design personalized gestures for common device functions like move, select, zoom-in, open, and delete. The researchers recruited 25 participants with conditions including spinal cord injury (13), muscular…

  motor impairments · gesture input · personalization · wearable sensors · electromyography

• 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

• Understanding Personalized Accessibility through Teachable AI: Designing and Evaluating Find My Things for People who are Blind or Low Vision

  Cecily Morrison, Martin Grayson, Rita Faia Marques, Daniela Massiceti, Camilla Longden, Linda Wen, Edward Cutrell · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '23)

  This paper from Microsoft Research presents Find My Things, one of the first fully realized end-to-end teachable AI applications for accessibility. The app allows people who are blind or low vision to teach their phone to recognize personal objects — keys, earbuds, lip balm,…

  teachable AI · object recognition · blind and low vision · personalization · few-shot learning

• AdaptiveSound: An Interactive Feedback-Loop System to Improve Sound Recognition for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Users

  Hang Do, Quan Dang, Jeremy Zhengqi Huang, Dhruv Jain · 2023 · ASSETS '23: Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper introduces AdaptiveSound, the first feedback-loop sound recognition system designed for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) users. Sound recognition tools help DHH people become aware of environmental sounds ranging from safety-critical alerts like fire alarms and sirens…

  deaf and hard of hearing · sound recognition · human-in-the-loop · machine learning · incremental learning

• WearSkill: Personalized and Interchangeable Input with Wearables for Users with Motor Impairments

  Ovidiu-Andrei Schipor, Laura-Bianca Bilius, Radu-Daniel Vatavu · 2022 · Proceedings of the 19th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces WearSkill, a web-based application designed to provide personalized and interchangeable input for wearable computing, with a specific focus on users with motor impairments. The system addresses a fundamental challenge in wearable accessibility: most…

  wearable technology · motor impairments · personalization · input modalities · gesture input

• Personalized Wearable Interactions with WearSkill

  Ovidiu-Andrei Schipor, Laura-Bianca Bilius, Ovidiu-Ciprian Ungurean, Alexandru-Ionut Siean, Alexandru-Tudor Andrei, Radu-Daniel Vatavu · 2022 · Proceedings of the 19th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents WearSkill, a web-based middleware application that enables people with upper-body motor impairments to control connected smart home devices through personalised wearable interactions. The system addresses a significant gap: most wearable devices…

  wearable technology · motor impairment · personalization · smart home · gesture input

• 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

• Computer Vision-based Methodology to Support AAC

  Rúbia Eliza de Oliveira Schultz Ascari, Roberto Pereira, Luciano Silva · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a methodology for supporting augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) through personalized gestural interaction using computer vision and machine learning. The authors developed the PGCA (Personal Gesture Communication Assistant) system, which enables…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · computer vision · machine learning · gesture recognition

• Interactive Technologies Designed for Children with Autism: Reports of Use and Desires from Parents, Teachers, and Therapists

  Cynthia Putnam, Christina Hanschke, Jennifer Todd, Jonathan Gemmell, Mia Kollia · 2019 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper examines how parents, teachers, and therapists use, perceive, discover, and desire interactive technologies for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research combined 19 semi-structured interviews and 230 survey responses from caregivers across the United…

  autism · children · interactive technology · assistive technology · stakeholder perspectives