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• Sound, Touch, or the Full Monty? A Comparative Study of Accessible Data Exploration Systems for Blind Users

  Pramod Chundury, J. Bern Jordan, Yasmin Reyazuddin, Niklas Elmqvist, Jonathan Lazar · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a controlled within-subject comparative study of three accessible data exploration systems representing different sensory modalities: Olli (a screen-reader-based system using hierarchical text descriptions and keyboard navigation), TactualPlot (a tablet-based…

  data visualization · sonification · tactile graphics · refreshable braille display · multimodal accessibility

• Eye Gaze Behaviour and Comprehension of Colour Commentary and Gameplay Captions of Live Fast-Paced Sports for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Television Viewers

  Somang Nam, Tatyana Kumarasamy, Maria Karam, Margot Whitfield, Evan Hibbard, Jenny Leung, Deborah Fels · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This ACM TACCESS study evaluates a novel captioning approach for live fast-paced sports broadcasting: 'Reduced Captioning' that displays only the colour commentary (opinions, context, analysis) and omits the verbatim play-by-play narration. The authors motivate this design…

  closed captioning · live captioning · broadcasting · sports · eye tracking

• Toward Integrating AI Chat and Search: A User-Centered Perspective across Age Groups

  Chen He, Michiel Spape, Khadijatul Kobra, Robin Welsch, Giulio Jacucci · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems

  This paper investigates how younger adults (25 participants, mean age 27) and older adults (22 participants, mean age 56) use AI chat (ChatGPT) and traditional search (Google Search) together to retrieve information. The research is framed around Visual Data Exploration,…

  information retrieval · aging · older adults · AI chat · large language models

• Improving Low-Vision Chart Accessibility via On-Cursor Visual Context

  Yotam Sechayk, Hennes Rave, Max Rädler, Mark Colley, Zhongyi Zhou, Ariel Shamir, Takeo Igarashi · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Charts remain largely inaccessible to Low-Vision Individuals (LVI) because reading them requires holding both fine-grained data details and the broader visual context — axes, legend, grid lines, overview — in view at the same time, a task that magnification and restricted fields…

  low vision · data visualization · chart accessibility · assistive technology · screen magnification

• 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

• Understanding the Use of a Large Language Model-Powered Guide to Make Virtual Reality Accessible for Blind and Low Vision People

  Jazmin Collins, Sharon Y Lin, Tianqi Liu, Andrea Stevenson Won, Shiri Azenkot · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Collins and colleagues present the first empirical user study of an AI-powered 'sighted guide' for blind and low-vision (BLV) users in social virtual reality. Social VR platforms like VRChat (40,000 concurrent players) are largely inaccessible: they require interpreting avatars,…

  virtual reality · social VR · blind and low vision · AI guide · large language model

• Are You Comfortable Sharing It?: Leveraging Image Obfuscation Techniques to Enhance Sharing Privacy for Blind and Visually Impaired Users

  Satabdi Das, Nahian Beente Firuj, Manjot Singh, Arshad Nasser, Khalad Hasan · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper addresses a privacy gap in how blind and visually impaired (BVI) users share photos: because they cannot visually inspect what they capture, images routinely contain sensitive or inappropriate content (identifiable people, nudity, documents with credentials,…

  blind and low vision · privacy · image obfuscation · visual description services · user study

• Echolocation as an Accessible Navigation Tool in a Virtual 3D Environment

  Mai Ricaplaza Thøgersen, Rasmus Jens Frølich Kjeldsen · 2024 · Assets '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates whether active echolocation — emitting a sound and interpreting its echo — can serve as a viable navigation tool for blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals in virtual 3D environments. Virtual spaces remain overwhelmingly visual, lacking the physical and…

  virtual environments · echolocation · blind and low vision · spatial navigation · sonic design space

• Design and Evaluation of an Automatic Text Simplification Prototype with Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Readers

  Oliver Alonzo, Sooyeon Lee, Akhter Al Amin, Mounica Maddela, Wei Xu, Matt Huenerfauth · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates the design preferences and interactions of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) readers with automatic text simplification (ATS) tools. Many DHH individuals who use sign language as their primary language experience English as a second language with different…

  deaf and hard of hearing · text simplification · reading accessibility · natural language processing · lexical simplification

• Understanding Low Vision Graphical Perception of Bar Charts

  Yash Prakash, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how low-vision users who rely on screen magnifiers perceive and interact with bar charts, addressing a significant gap in data visualization accessibility research. While studies on chart perception have extensively examined sighted users and some have…

  low vision · data visualization · bar charts · screen magnifier · graphical perception

• Invisible, Unreadable, and Inaudible Cookie Notices: An Evaluation of Cookie Notices for Users with Visual Impairments

  Janice M. Clarke, Maryam Mehrnezhad, Ehsan Toreini · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates the accessibility of cookie notices for users with visual impairments (VI), combining automated testing of 46 top UK websites with a user study of 100 participants who use assistive technology. The researchers employed multiple testing approaches: WAVE…

  screen readers · visual impairments · privacy · web accessibility · cookie consent

• Exploring the Strategies People with Parkinson's Disease Use to Self-track Symptoms and Medications

  Charlotte Tang, Imrul K. Shuva, Matthew Thelen, Linda Zhu, Nathaniel S. Miller · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This qualitative study investigates how people with Parkinson's Disease (PwPD) track their symptoms, medications, and physical activities, with the goal of informing inclusive design of self-tracking technologies. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 26…

  Parkinson's disease · self-tracking · chronic illness · health technology · inclusive design

• Bring Environments to People – A Case Study of Virtual Tours in Accessibility Assessment for People with Limited Mobility

  Hao-Yun Chi, Jingzhen Sha, Yang Zhang · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A '23)

  This study presents the first user research with people with limited mobility on using virtual tours — 3D digital replicas of physical environments captured with 360-degree cameras and depth sensors — to remotely assess the accessibility of indoor spaces. People with mobility…

  physical accessibility · wheelchair users · virtual reality · accessible housing · mobility impairments

• Understanding and Improving Drilled-Down Information Extraction from Online Data Visualizations for Screen-Reader Users

  Ather Sharif, Olivia H. Wang, Alida T. Muongchan, Katharina Reinecke, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This full research paper presents a comprehensive investigation into how screen-reader users (SRUs) extract drilled-down information from online data visualizations, and how the VoxLens tool can be improved to support this process. While prior work on VoxLens focused on holistic…

  screen readers · data visualization · voice interface · information extraction · natural language processing

• 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

• Uncovering Visually Impaired Gamers' Preferences for Spatial Awareness Tools Within Video Games

  Vishnu Nair, Shao-en Ma, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Yicheng He, Karen Lin, Mason Hayes, Hannah Huddleston, Matthew Donnelly, Brian A. Smith · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates how visually impaired players (VIPs) gain spatial awareness within 3D video games by comparing four leading spatial awareness tool (SAT) approaches. The researchers built Dungeon Escape, a 3D third-person adventure game using Unity, featuring four dungeon…

  game accessibility · visual impairment · blindness · spatial awareness · audio navigation

• Understanding Screen Readers' Plugins

  Farhani Momotaz, Md Touhidul Islam, Md Ehtesham-Ul-Haque, Syed Masum Billah · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents the first empirical study focused specifically on understanding the ecosystem of screen reader plugins — small pieces of code that extend screen reader functionality. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 blind screen reader users (ages…

  screen readers · plugins · blind users · assistive technology · NVDA

• Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Users Evaluating Designs for Highlighting Key Words in Educational Lecture Videos

  Sushant Kafle, Becca Dingman, Matt Huenerfauth · 2021 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This empirical study investigates design preferences for keyword highlighting in video captions among Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) users. While style guides like the APA Publication Manual and Chicago Manual of Style provide recommendations for highlighting text in static…

  deaf and hard of hearing · captions · captioning · video accessibility · text highlighting

• AudioFunctions.web: Multimodal Exploration of Mathematical Function Graphs

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, João Guerreiro, Sergio Mascetti, Anna Capietto · 2019 · Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This full research paper presents AudioFunctions.web, a web application that enables blind and visually impaired people to explore mathematical function graphs through a combination of sonification, earcons, and speech synthesis. The system is the platform-independent successor…

  sonification · mathematics accessibility · visual impairment · blindness · STEM accessibility

• Adults with High-functioning Autism Process Web Pages With Similar Accuracy but Higher Cognitive Effort Compared to Controls

  Victoria Yaneva, Le An Ha, Sukru Eraslan, Yeliz Yesilada · 2019 · Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates the accuracy and efficiency with which adults with high-functioning autism process web pages compared to neurotypical controls, using eye-tracking to reveal hidden cognitive effort differences. The study addresses a critical gap: existing web…

  autism spectrum disorder · eye tracking · cognitive accessibility · web accessibility · neurodivergence

• An Independent and Interactive Museum Experience for Blind People

  Saki Asakawa, João Guerreiro, Daisuke Sato, Hironobu Takagi, Dragan Ahmetovic, Desi Gonzalez, Kris M. Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2019 · Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents a prototype system for supporting independent, interactive museum visits by blind people, deployed and evaluated at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. The system combines indoor navigation with context-aware art appreciation through continuous tracking of…

  museum accessibility · blindness · indoor navigation · BLE beacon · audio description

• See-Thru: Towards Minimally Obstructive Eye-Controlled Wheelchair Interfaces

  Corten Clemente Singer, Björn Hartmann · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents See-Thru, an eye-tracking interface for controlling power wheelchairs that replaces the conventional obstructive computer screen with a transparent wire-frame device containing spatially arranged LEDs. The fundamental problem with existing eye-controlled…

  eye tracking · eye-gaze control · power wheelchair · motor disability · assistive technology

• Evaluating the Benefit of Highlighting Key Words in Captions for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

  Sushant Kafle, Peter Yeung, Matt Huenerfauth · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper investigates whether visually highlighting important words in video captions benefits Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) users, through formative studies and a larger evaluation study. DHH users face a unique visual-attention challenge when watching captioned video: they…

  Deaf and hard of hearing · captioning · text highlighting · educational accessibility · video accessibility

• Gender and Help Seeking by Older Adults When Learning New Technologies

  Rachel L. Franz, Leah Findlater, Barbara Barbosa Neves, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper investigates whether the gender stereotype that men are more reluctant to ask for help applies in the context of older adults learning new technologies. The study was motivated by the observation that if older men avoid asking for help with technology, this could…

  older adults · aging · gender · help seeking · technology self-efficacy

• Detecting Autism Based on Eye-Tracking Data from Web Searching Tasks

  Victoria Yaneva, Le An Ha, Sukru Eraslan, Yeliz Yesilada, Ruslan Mitkov · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates whether eye-tracking data collected during everyday web tasks can be used to distinguish between people with and without autism, potentially enabling a low-cost, accessible screening approach. The study collected gaze data from 15 adults with clinically…

  autism · eye tracking · machine learning · web accessibility · cognitive accessibility