Literature Reviews

Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.

• Exploring New Paradigms for Accessible 3D Printed Graphs

  Michele Hu (2015) — ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper explores novel approaches to representing bar graphs for blind users using 3D printing technology, moving beyond traditional flat tactile graphics. Traditional tactile graphics (created with swell paper, embossers, or thermoform) use raise…

  • visual impairment
  • tactile graphics
  • 3D printing
  • data visualization
  • STEM education
  • co-design
  • bar graphs

• The Tactile Graphics Helper: Providing Audio Clarification for Tactile Graphics Using Machine Vision

  Giovanni Fusco, Valerie S. Morash (2015) — ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents the Tactile Graphics Helper (TGH), a machine vision system that enables students who are blind or visually impaired to independently access clarifying information about tactile graphics without sighted assistance. Tactile graphics…

  • tactile graphics
  • visual impairment
  • blindness
  • STEM education
  • machine vision
  • finger tracking
  • audio-tactile
  • assistive technology
  • accessible graphics
  • braille

• Eyes-free Exploration of Shapes with Invisible Puzzle

  Andrea Gerino, Lorenzo Picinali, Cristian Bernareggi, Sergio Mascetti (2015) — ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents Invisible Puzzle Game, an iPhone application that uses sonification techniques to enable people who are blind or visually impaired to explore shapes on touchscreen devices. Image exploration is fundamental for developing visuospat…

  • sonification
  • blindness
  • visual impairment
  • touchscreen
  • image exploration
  • gamification
  • STEM education
  • audio feedback
  • spatial cognition
  • remote evaluation

• Demonstration: Screen Reader Support for a Complex Interactive Science Simulation

  Taliesin L. Smith, Clayton Lewis, Emily B. Moore (2016) — ASSETS '16: Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This demonstration presents an accessible version of "Balloons and Static Electricity," a PhET interactive science simulation that teaches electrostatic charge concepts. PhET simulations are run over 75 million times annually, yet most are inaccessib…

  • screen reader
  • STEM education
  • interactive simulation
  • PhET
  • blind accessibility
  • ARIA
  • accessible description
  • science education
  • keyboard navigation

• Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology (DO-IT) on the electronic highway

  Sheryl Burgstahler, Dan Comden (1994) — Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This paper describes DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology), a National Science Foundation-funded project based at the University of Washington's College of Engineering. DO-IT was designed to recruit and retain students w…

  • STEM accessibility
  • STEM education
  • digital divide
  • disability employment
  • internet accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • higher education
  • adaptive technology

• Delivering Sign Language in a Live Planetarium Show Using Head-Mounted Displays and Infrared Light

  Michael D. Jones, M. Jeannette Lawler (2019) — Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper presents a system for delivering real-time American Sign Language (ASL) narration during live planetarium shows using head-mounted displays (HMDs) and infrared light. Planetariums pose unique accessibility challenges for deaf and hard-of-h…

  • sign language
  • deaf and hard of hearing
  • head-mounted display
  • augmented reality
  • informal learning
  • museum accessibility
  • STEM education
  • ASL

• TIP-Toy: a tactile, open-source computational toolkit to support learning across visual abilities

  Giulia Barbareschi, Enrico Costanza, Catherine Holloway (2020) — Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents TIP-Toy (Tactile Inclusive Programming Toy), an open-source educational programming toolkit using physical blocks and music output, designed for children ages 6-11 with mixed visual abilities — from full sight to total blindness. …

  • visual accessibility
  • STEM education
  • tangible interaction
  • blindness and low vision
  • inclusive design
  • education accessibility
  • music accessibility
  • computer science
  • digital fabrication

• Challenges and Opportunities in Creating an Accessible Web Application for Learning Organic Chemistry

  Allyson Grace Yu (2022) — Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates the accessibility challenges of creating web-based educational tools for organic chemistry, a STEM subject that relies heavily on visual 2D and 3D molecular representations. The author notes that while 19.8% of undergraduate s…

  • STEM accessibility
  • STEM education
  • web accessibility
  • organic chemistry
  • keyboard accessibility
  • usability testing
  • accessibility audit
  • device-dependent event handlers
  • 3D interaction