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• A Proxy Stakeholder Approach to Requirements Engineering for Inclusive Navigation

  Wei Wang, Anuradha Madugalla, John Grundy, John McIntosh, Pieter Hartel · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology

  This paper introduces a "proxy stakeholder" framework for Requirements Engineering (RE) aimed at designing inclusive navigation software for individuals with cognitive impairments (IwCI). The authors argue that traditional RE elicitation techniques—interviews, workshops,…

  cognitive accessibility · wayfinding · requirements engineering · proxy stakeholders · inclusive navigation

• 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

• When Audio Is Enough: Design-Tradeoffs in Multi-Story MR Navigation

  Bilgehan Cagiltay, Selim Balcisoy · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI '26 exploratory study asks when an augmented-reality navigation aid can rely on audio alone. The authors argue that visual-first MR interfaces impose extra cognitive load and attention tunneling in high-stakes, cognitively demanding settings (e.g., first responders,…

  mixed reality · audio augmented reality · spatial audio · indoor navigation · wayfinding

• Investigating the Role of Agentic AI in Facilitating Travel Planning for People with Low Vision

  Ranran Ding, Maryam Bandukda · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  This CHI 2026 Extended Abstract examines a stage of accessible travel that most assistive-technology research has overlooked: the pre-trip planning work people with low vision (PLV) do before ever leaving the house. The authors argue that most existing tools — navigation apps,…

  low vision · wayfinding · agentic AI · large language models · conversational agents

• SocialCue: Exploring the Design Space of Social Wayfinding Assistants for Blind and Low Vision People

  Veronica Bossio Botero, Sidharth Sharma, Ruoyu Iris Xu, Lisa Maria DiSalvo, Ritvik Sharma, Brian A. Smith · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  SocialCue is a wearable technology probe that targets a problem most assistive navigation work ignores: not where to walk, but how to read and act inside an unfolding social scene. The authors argue that existing tools for blind and low vision (BLV) people focus on spatial…

  blind and low vision · social navigation · wayfinding · wearable technology · computer vision

• "Where Can I Park?" Understanding Human Perspectives and Scalably Detecting Disability Parking from Aerial Imagery

  Jared Hwang, Chu Li, Hanbyul Kang, Maryam Hosseini, Jon E. Froehlich · 2025 · ASSETS '25: Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This mixed-methods paper addresses the critical gap in understanding and assessing disability parking in the United States. Despite ADA mandates requiring 4-8% of public parking spaces to be accessible, there has been no large-scale investigation of the quality or allocation of…

  disability parking · computer vision · urban planning · aerial imagery · object detection

• 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

• The Future of Urban Accessibility: The Role of AI

  Jon E. Froehlich, Chu Li, Maryam Hosseini, Fabio Miranda, Andres Sevtsuk, Yochai Eisenberg · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This workshop paper examines the emerging role of artificial intelligence in designing equitable and accessible cities, transportation systems, and navigation tools for people with disabilities. The authors — spanning HCI, urban planning, public health, and accessibility…

  urban accessibility · artificial intelligence · smart cities · autonomous vehicles · pedestrian infrastructure

• Dude, Where's My Luggage? An Autoethnographic Account of Airport Navigation by a Traveler with Residual Vision

  Cameron Tyler Cassidy, Stacy Marie Branham · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents an autoethnographic study of airport navigation by a legally blind traveler with residual vision, conducted across eight round-trips through six U.S. airports. The first author, Cameron, who has Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy resulting in approximately…

  visual impairment · low vision · residual vision · 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

• MABLESim: A Simulation Framework for Studying Accessibility Challenges for People with Disabilities within Indoor Environments

  Francisco Javier Rafful Garfias, Vinod Namboodiri · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces MABLESim (Mapping for Accessible BuiLt Environments Simulator), a Unity-based simulation framework designed to study how people with disabilities navigate indoor spaces. The authors address a fundamental research gap: while physical accessibility barriers…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · simulation · mobility impairments · visual impairments

• All the Way There and Back: Inertial-Based, Phone-in-Pocket Indoor Wayfinding and Backtracking Apps for Blind Travelers

  Chia Hsuan Tsai, Fatemeh Elyasi, Peng Ren, Roberto Manduchi · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents two iOS apps designed to help blind travelers navigate indoor building environments without requiring external infrastructure like Bluetooth beacons or visual markers. The Wayfinding app uses a known floor plan to compute and guide users along the shortest…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · blind and low vision · inertial sensors · dead reckoning

• BentoMuseum: 3D and Layered Interactive Museum Map for Blind Visitors

  Xiyue Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2024 · Communications of the ACM

  BentoMuseum proposes a novel museum map format designed to help blind visitors access the multidimensional information of a complex, multi-floor museum before and during a visit. Unlike conventional tactile maps that depict a single floor layout and struggle to convey volumetric…

  museum accessibility · blindness and low vision · tactile map · audio-tactile interaction · 3D printing

• Snap&Nav: Smartphone-based Indoor Navigation System For Blind People via Floor Map Analysis and Intersection Detection

  Masaya Kubota, Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Shigeo Morishima · 2024 · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (MobileHCI)

  Snap&Nav is a smartphone-based indoor navigation system for blind travellers that works in any building with a visible floor map, without requiring the building owner to pre-build a digital map, install BLE beacons, or deploy any other localisation infrastructure. The authors…

  blindness and low vision · indoor navigation · wayfinding · map-less navigation · intersection detection

• ChitChatGuide: Conversational Interaction Using Large Language Models for Assisting People with Visual Impairments to Explore a Shopping Mall

  Yuka Kaniwa, Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Shigeo Morishima · 2024 · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (MobileHCI)

  ChitChatGuide is a smartphone-based indoor navigation system that wraps a GPT-4-powered conversational interface around an existing BLE-beacon localisation stack (HULOP) to support something most blind-navigation research overlooks: casual, purpose-less exploration — the blind…

  blindness and low vision · large language model · indoor navigation · wayfinding · conversational agent

• Experiments with RouteNav, A Wayfinding App for Blind Travelers in a Transit Hub

  Peng Ren, Jonathan Lam, Roberto Manduchi, Fatemeh Mirzaei · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '23)

  This paper presents RouteNav, an iOS wayfinding app designed to help blind travelers navigate indoor/outdoor transit hubs without requiring any external infrastructure such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons or Wi-Fi fingerprinting. The system achieves localization by fusing…

  wayfinding · indoor navigation · blind and low vision · transit accessibility · mobile application

• Experimental Evaluation of Multi-scale Tactile Maps Created with SIM, a Web App for Indoor Map Authoring

  Viet Trinh, Roberto Manduchi, Nicholas A. Giudice · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces Semantic Interior Mapology (SIM), a web application that democratizes tactile map creation by allowing anyone to trace a floor plan image and automatically generate embossable tactile maps at multiple scales. Unlike outdoor environments where services like…

  tactile maps · indoor navigation · blindness · spatial learning · orientation and mobility

• Enhancing Blind Visitor's Autonomy in a Science Museum Using an Autonomous Navigation Robot

  Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Murata, Tatsuya Ishihara, Hironobu Takagi, Shigeo Morishima, Chieko Asakawa · 2023 · Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  Museums have historically struggled to offer blind visitors the same self-directed, exploratory experience that sighted visitors take for granted. Prior solutions — tactile tours, audio guides, or pre-fixed navigation routes — either require a human escort or constrain visitors…

  blind navigation · autonomous navigation robot · museum accessibility · visual impairment · indoor navigation

• BentoMuseum: 3D and Layered Interactive Museum Map for Blind Visitors

  Shi-Jie Wang, Tao Yang, Jia-Le Gao, Zhi-Yuan Tang, Meng-Xi Chen, Cheng-Yue Jia, Yue-Han Wang, Jian Zhao, Wei Zeng · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents BentoMuseum, a novel 3D-printed interactive museum map system designed to help blind visitors independently explore and navigate museum spaces. The system addresses a significant gap in museum accessibility — while museums increasingly provide accommodations…

  tactile maps · blind users · 3D printing · museum accessibility · audio-tactile interaction

• Lessons Learned from Designing, Deploying and Testing an Accessible BLE Beacon-based Wayfinding System in a Multi-Floor Indoor Environment

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

  This paper documents the practical guidelines and design decisions involved in deploying a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon-based indoor wayfinding system in a three-story college campus building. The system builds on GuideBeacon, a previously developed proximity-based indoor…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · BLE beacon · blind and low vision · mobile accessibility

• Planning Your Journey in Audio: Design and Evaluation of Auditory Route Overviews

  Nida Aziz, Tony Stockman, Rebecca Stewart · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research develops and evaluates an auditory route overview system that enables blind users to preview walking routes before embarking on journeys. The system addresses a critical gap: while many navigation aids support live guidance, few tools allow blind travelers to gain…

  blind navigation · auditory display · route planning · auditory icons · earcons

• Traveling More Independently: A Study on the Diverse Needs and Challenges of People with Visual or Mobility Impairments in Unfamiliar Indoor Environments

  Karin Müller, Christin Engel, Claudia Loitsch, Rainer Stiefelhagen, Gerhard Weber · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive survey study examines how people with visual impairments (blindness or low vision) and mobility impairments plan and execute trips to unfamiliar indoor environments. The researchers surveyed 125 participants—60 blind, 39 with low vision, and 26 with mobility…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · visual impairment · mobility impairment · indoor maps

• Route Descriptions, Spatial Knowledge and Spatial Representations of Blind and Partially Sighted People: Improved Design of Electronic Travel Aids

  Marion Hersh, Alasdair Ramirez Garcia · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a qualitative study investigating how blind and partially sighted people acquire spatial knowledge, form mental maps, and describe routes—with the goal of informing better design of electronic travel aids (ETAs). The researchers worked with nine participants…

  electronic travel aids · blind navigation · mental maps · orientation and mobility · wayfinding