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• QC Speller: User Interface Design of a Hands-Free Touch-Free Speller with Brain Electroencephalogram Sensory Rhythm

  Tulika Nama, Debasis Samanta · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents QC Speller, a novel brain-computer interface (BCI) text entry system designed for people with severe motor impairments who cannot use traditional keyboards, mice, or touchscreens. The system uses electroencephalography (EEG) to detect motor imagery…

  brain-computer interface · motor imagery · EEG · text entry · motor impairment

• "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

• A Usability Study of Nomon: A Flexible Interface for Single-Switch Users

  Nicholas Bonaker, Emli-Mari Nel, Keith Vertanen, Tamara Broderick · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper presents the first usability study of Nomon — an alternative single-switch interface — with actual motor-impaired users, comparing it against the widely used row-column scanning (RCS) method. Single-switch interfaces are essential communication tools for people with…

  single switch · augmentative and alternative communication · motor impairment · text entry · scanning

• Ally: Understanding Text Messaging to Build a Better Onscreen Keyboard for Blind People

  Danielle Lottridge, Chris Yoon, Darren Burton, Chester Wang, Jofish Kaye · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research presents Ally, a smartphone onscreen keyboard designed specifically for blind users who need to enter text messages when voice input or external keyboards are unavailable. The authors recognized that blind smartphone users employ heterogeneous input methods—voice…

  blindness · text entry · mobile accessibility · keyboard design · VoiceOver

• VectorEntry: Text Entry Mechanism Using Handheld Touch-Enabled Mobile Devices for People with Visual Impairments

  Debasis Samanta, Tuhin Chakraborty · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research develops VectorEntry, a gesture-based text entry system for touchscreen mobile devices designed specifically for people with visual impairments. The authors conducted two preliminary studies to understand how users with visual impairments perform directional…

  visual impairment · blindness · text entry · mobile accessibility · touchscreen

• Reviewing Speech Input with Audio: Differences between Blind and Sighted Users

  Jonggi Hong, Christine Vaing, Hernisa Kacorri, Leah Findlater · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper investigates how blind users identify automatic speech recognition (ASR) errors when reviewing dictated text through audio only—a critical yet understudied aspect of speech-based text entry. While speech input is a primary interaction method for blind mobile users…

  speech recognition · ASR errors · screen readers · text entry · blind users

• Typing Slowly but Screen-Free: Exploring Navigation over Entirely Auditory Keyboards

  Reeti Mathur, Aishwarya Sheth, Parimal Vyas, Davide Bolchini · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper introduces the concept of "keyflows" — entirely auditory keyboards that operate without a reference screen, enabling blind users to type while untethered from their mobile device. The core problem is that current accessible keyboards require blind users to constantly…

  text entry · blindness · visual impairment · screen reader · auditory interface

• The Design Space of Nonvisual Word Completion

  Hugo Nicolau, Andre Rodrigues, Andre Santos, Tiago Guerreiro, Kyle Montague, Joao Guerreiro · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper presents the first design space for nonvisual word completion on mobile devices, addressing a gap where word completion interfaces — ubiquitous in sighted mobile typing — remain poorly designed for screen reader users. While sighted users can glance at three…

  blindness · text entry · mobile accessibility · screen readers · word prediction

• Vocal Programming for People with Upper-Body Motor Impairments

  Lucas Rosenblatt, Patrick Carrington, Kotaro Hara, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018)

  This paper presents VocalIDE, a prototype voice-based integrated development environment (IDE) designed to enable people with upper-body motor impairments to write and edit computer code using speech commands rather than a keyboard. Only 4% of professional programmers have…

  speech recognition · motor impairment · cerebral palsy · spinal cord injury · programming education

• Gaze Typing using Multi-key Selection Technique

  Tanya Bafna · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This student research competition paper presents a multi-key selection technique for gaze typing that significantly speeds up text input for people with extreme motor disabilities such as full body paralysis. Traditional gaze typing uses dwell time — the user must fixate on each…

  eye tracking · gaze interaction · text entry · motor disability · paralysis

• Improving the Academic Inclusion of a Student with Special Needs at University Bordeaux

  John J. Kelway, Anke M. Brock, Pascal Guitton, Aurélie Millet, Yasushi Nakata · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This experience report describes a collaborative effort between accessibility researchers, student support services (PHASE), and a motor and speech-disabled student (YN) at the University of Bordeaux to improve his academic participation. YN, over 60 years old, acquired a severe…

  3D printing · assistive technology · text entry · motor disability · higher education

• Why Is Gesture Typing Promising for Older Adults? Comparing Gesture and Tap Typing Behavior of Older with Young Adults

  Yu-Hao Lin, Suwen Zhu, Yu-Jung Ko, Wenzhe Cui, Xiaojun Bi · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018)

  This study from Stony Brook University investigates whether gesture typing (gliding a finger continuously across keys to spell words) is a viable alternative to traditional tap typing for older adults on smartphones. Text entry is one of the most significant barriers older…

  older adults · text entry · gesture typing · touchscreen accessibility · mobile accessibility

• Exploring an Ambiguous Technique for Eyes-Free Mobile Text Entry

  Dylan Gaines · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2018)

  This student research competition paper from Michigan Technological University presents Tap123, an ambiguous eyes-free keyboard for mobile text entry that does not require users to tap specific keys. The system is motivated by the limitations of existing blind text entry…

  blindness · low vision · text entry · mobile accessibility · eyes-free interaction

• Investigating Laboratory and Everyday Typing Performance of Blind Users

  Hugo Nicolau, Kyle Montague, Tiago Guerreiro, André Rodrigues, Vicki L. Hanson · 2017 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper presents the first longitudinal study comparing blind users' touchscreen typing performance in laboratory versus everyday real-world settings. Over 12 weeks, five novice blind smartphone users participated in eight weekly laboratory sessions while also having their…

  visual impairment · text entry · touchscreen · mobile accessibility · longitudinal study

• Scopist: Building a Skill Ladder into Crowd Transcription

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Kristin Williams, Nila Banerjee, John Zimmerman · 2017 · Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces Scopist, a JavaScript application designed to teach crowd workers stenotype — a chording-based text entry method used by professional real-time captioners — while they perform audio transcription microtasks. The research addresses a fundamental problem in…

  crowdsourcing · captioning · stenography · deaf accessibility · transcription

• BrailleSketch: A Gesture-based Text Input Method for People with Visual Impairments

  Mingzhe Li, Mingming Fan, Khai N. Truong · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This paper presents BrailleSketch, a gesture-based text input method for touchscreen smartphones designed for people with visual impairments who already know the Braille alphabet. Rather than requiring users to tap specific screen locations or use multi-finger chording (as with…

  text entry · braille · gesture interaction · visual impairment · mobile accessibility

• Accessible Touchscreen Technology for People with Visual Impairments: A Survey

  William Grussenmeyer, Eelke Folmer · 2017 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive survey reviews the state of the art in touchscreen accessibility for people who are blind or have low vision, covering research from the mid-1990s through 2016. The authors organize the field by input modalities (gestural, voice, sensor-based) and output…

  touchscreen accessibility · mobile accessibility · visual impairment · screen readers · gestures

• OnScreenDualScribe with Point-and-Click Interface: A Viable Computer Interaction Alternative based on a Virtual Modified Numerical Keypad

  Kavita Krishnaswamy, Patricia Ordóñez, Phillip Beckerle, Stephan Rinderknecht, Torsten Felzer · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents a first-person evaluation of the OnScreenDualScribe (OSDS) Point-and-Click Interface, a virtual keyboard designed for people who cannot use a standard keyboard or mouse effectively. The first author, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), can only interact…

  text entry · motor disability · virtual keyboard · assistive technology · word prediction

• An Evaluation of SingleTapBraille Keyboard: A Text Entry Method that Utilizes Braille Patterns on Touchscreen Devices

  Maraim Alnfiai, Srinivas Sampalli · 2016 · ASSETS '16: Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  SingleTapBraille is a touchscreen keyboard that allows blind users to enter text by tapping braille dot patterns anywhere on the screen, eliminating the need to locate specific key positions. Unlike QWERTY keyboards that require users to slide their finger across the screen…

  braille · text entry · touchscreen accessibility · blind accessibility · mobile accessibility

• Gaze Typing Through Foot-Operated Wearable Device

  Vijay Rajanna · 2016 · ASSETS '16: Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents a dwell-free gaze typing system that combines eye tracking with a foot-operated wearable device to enable text entry for people with motor impairments affecting arms or spine. Traditional gaze typing requires users to "dwell" (fixate) on virtual keyboard keys…

  gaze typing · eye tracking · wearable devices · foot interaction · motor impairment

• Experiences of Someone with a Neuromuscular Disease in Operating a PC (and Ways to Successfully Overcome Challenges)

  Torsten Felzer, Stephan Rinderknecht · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper describes the first-person experiences of the first author, who has Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) — a progressive neuromuscular disease causing ataxia of limbs, dysarthria, and muscle weakness — in finding a viable computer input method over 25 years. Diagnosed at age 15…

  motor impairment · text entry · alternative input device · neuromuscular disease · keyboard replacement

• Typing Performance of Blind Users: An Analysis of Touch Behaviors, Learning Effect, and In-Situ Usage

  Hugo Nicolau, Kyle Montague, Tiago Guerreiro, André Rodrigues, Vicki L. Hanson · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This longitudinal study provides the most detailed analysis to date of how novice blind users learn to type on touchscreen keyboards using the Explore by Touch paradigm (where users slide fingers across the screen to hear key names, then lift to select). Five legally blind…

  visual impairment · touchscreen · text entry · mobile accessibility · screen reader

• Filteryedping: Design Challenges and User Performance of Dwell-Free Eye Typing

  Diogo Pedrosa, Maria da Graça Pimentel, Amy Wright, Khai N. Truong · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces Filteryedping, a dwell-free eye typing technique designed to help people with severe motor disabilities communicate through eye gaze. Traditional dwell-based eye typing requires users to fixate on a key for a specific duration (typically 400-1000ms) to…

  eye tracking · eye typing · dwell-free · motor disability · ALS

• Text Entry by Raising the Eyebrow with HaMCoS

  Torsten Felzer, Stephan Rinderknecht · 2014 · ASSETS '14: Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demo paper presents HaMCoS (HAnds-free Mouse COntrol System), a system that enables text entry for people with very severe physical disabilities using tiny contractions of the brow muscle. The system targets users in a "locked-in" state, where communication with the outside…

  assistive technology · text entry · switch access · motor impairments · mouse emulation

• Text Entry via Discrete and Analog Myoelectric Signals

  Adam J. Sporka, Antonín Posusta, Ondrej Poláček, Tomáš Flek, Jakub Otáhal · 2014 · ASSETS '14: Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demo paper presents a prototype system for text entry using surface electromyography (sEMG) signals detected from muscles in the user's forearm. The system is intended for people with upper extremity disabilities who retain the ability to control their forearm muscles.…

  assistive technology · text entry · electromyography · biosignals · motor impairments