Literature Reviews

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

• The PhonicStick: A Joystick to Generate Novel Words Using Phonics

  Rolf Black (2011) — The Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2011)

  This short paper introduces the PhonicStick, a novel joystick-based device that enables non-speaking children to explore letter sounds (phonics) and blend them into words. The motivation stems from a key limitation of existing Voice Output Communicat…

  • AAC
  • phonological awareness
  • literacy
  • joystick
  • cerebral palsy
  • phonics
  • assistive technology
  • children
  • voice output
  • alternative input

• Liberi and the Racer Bike: Exergaming Technology for Children with Cerebral Palsy

  Zi Ye, Hamilton A. Hernandez, T.C. Nicholas Graham, Darcy Fehlings, Lauren Switzer, Md Ameer Hamza, Irina Schumann (2012) — Proceedings of the 14th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2012)

  This demonstration paper presents Liberi, a multiplayer exercise video game, and a custom cycling-based exergaming station designed to enable children with cerebral palsy (CP) to engage in vigorous physical exercise while playing with peers. Children…

  • cerebral palsy
  • exergame
  • children
  • physical activity
  • participatory design
  • motor impairment
  • rehabilitation
  • game accessibility

• What is Wrong with This Word? Dyseggxia: A Game for Children with Dyslexia

  Luz Rello, Clara Bayarri, Azuki Gorriz (2012) — Proceedings of the 14th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2012)

  This demonstration paper presents Dyseggxia, a free mobile game application for iOS and Android that provides word exercises designed specifically for Spanish-speaking children with dyslexia. The game's content design is grounded in two empirical fou…

  • dyslexia
  • serious games
  • educational technology
  • Spanish language
  • reading accessibility
  • cognitive accessibility
  • mobile application
  • iOS
  • Android
  • spelling
  • children

• Coming to Grips: 3D Printing for Accessibility

  Erin Buehler, Amy Hurst, Megan Hofmann (2014) — Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '14)

  This demonstration paper presents a case study of using consumer-grade 3D printing to create custom assistive devices for a student with limited hand motor ability at a special education facility. The work grew out of a six-month evaluation of making…

  • assistive technology
  • 3D printing
  • digital fabrication
  • motor impairment
  • special education
  • DIY assistive technology
  • rapid prototyping
  • children

• A Computer-Based Method to Improve the Spelling of Children with Dyslexia

  Luz Rello, Clara Bayarri, Yolanda Otal, Martin Pielot (2014) — Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS 2014)

  This paper presents a novel method for improving the spelling skills of children with dyslexia through error-based exercises delivered via an iPad game called DysEggxia (Piruletras in Spanish). Unlike traditional approaches that present correct words…

  • dyslexia
  • spelling
  • serious games
  • literacy
  • education
  • cognitive accessibility
  • children
  • tablet accessibility

• BraillePlay: Educational Smartphone Games for Blind Children

  Lauren R. Milne, Cynthia L. Bennett, Richard E. Ladner, Shiri Azenkot (2014) — Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS 2014)

  This paper presents BraillePlay, a suite of four educational smartphone games designed to teach Braille character encodings to blind children aged 5 and older. The games are built on VBraille, a method for displaying Braille characters on a touchscre…

  • blindness
  • Braille literacy
  • educational games
  • children
  • mobile accessibility
  • haptic feedback
  • accessible gaming
  • touchscreen

• Motion History to Improve Communication and Switch Access for People with Severe and Multiple Disabilities

  Guang Yang, Mamoru Iwabuchi, Rumi Hirabayashi, Kenryu Nakamura, Kimihiko Taniguchi, Syoudai Sano, Takamitsu Aoki (2014) — Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This demo paper presents the application of Motion History — a computer vision technique that visualises a user's movement history as a heat map — to support communication and switch access for people with severe and multiple disabilities. The system…

  • severe disabilities
  • multiple disabilities
  • switch access
  • computer vision
  • Kinect
  • communication
  • AAC
  • intellectual disability
  • children

• Evaluating the STANDUP Pun Generating Software with Children with Cerebral Palsy

  Annalu Waller, Rolf Black, David A. O'Mara, Helen Pain, Graeme Ritchie, Ruli Manurung (2009) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper evaluates STANDUP (System To Augment Non-speakers' Dialogue Using Puns), software that uses natural language generation to enable children with complex communication needs (CCN) to create and tell novel punning riddles. Unlike traditional …

  • AAC
  • cerebral palsy
  • children
  • natural language generation
  • computational humor
  • speech generating devices
  • language development
  • switch access
  • symbol support

• Computer Usage by Children with Down Syndrome: Challenges and Future Research

  Jinjuan Feng, Jonathan Lazar, Libby Kumin, Ant Ozok (2010) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This landmark study presents findings from a large-scale survey of approximately 600 parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) about their children's computer usage challenges. The research addresses a critical gap: while DS characteristics are wel…

  • Down syndrome
  • cognitive accessibility
  • developmental disabilities
  • children
  • survey research
  • input devices
  • educational technology

• Usability of a Multimodal Video Game to Improve Navigation Skills for Blind Children

  Jaime Sánchez, Mauricio Saenz, Jose Miguel Garrido (2010) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents an evaluative study of a multimodal system combining a custom haptic device (Digital Clock Carpet) with a 3D audio-based video game (MOVA3D) to develop orientation and mobility (O&M) skills in blind school-aged children. The Digit…

  • blindness
  • orientation and mobility
  • haptic interface
  • audio games
  • spatial cognition
  • children
  • virtual environments
  • multimodal interaction