Literature Reviews

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

• Tangibles + Programming + Audio Stories = Fun

  Varsha Koushik, Shaun K. Kane (2017) — Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This poster introduces Story Blocks, a tangible programming toolkit designed to make block-based programming accessible to blind and visually impaired users. Block-based programming languages like Scratch and Blockly are popular tools for teaching ch…

  • programming education
  • blindness
  • visual impairment
  • tangible interaction
  • children
  • inclusive design
  • STEM accessibility
  • block-based programming

• Bend Passwords on BendyPass: A User Authentication Method for People with Vision Impairment

  Daniella Briotto Faustino, Audrey Girouard (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This demonstration paper presents BendyPass, a flexible silicone device that allows people with vision impairments to enter passwords through physical bend and fold gestures rather than typing PINs or text passwords. The project addresses a significa…

  • visual impairment
  • security
  • user authentication
  • deformable user interface
  • haptic feedback
  • shoulder surfing
  • prototyping

• Maritime Buoyage on 3D-Printed Tactile Maps

  Mathieu Simonnet, Serge Morvan, Dominique Marques, Olivier Ducruix, Arnaud Grancher, Sylvie Kerouedan (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This demonstration paper presents work from the Brest Bay Touch project to create 3D-printed maritime maps accessible to people with visual impairments, with a particular focus on representing sea marks (buoys, lighthouses, and other navigational aid…

  • 3D printing
  • tactile maps
  • visual impairment
  • spatial cognition
  • maritime accessibility
  • co-design
  • blindness

• Design and Evaluation of a Multimodal Science Simulation

  Brianna J. Tomlinson, Prakriti Kaini, Siyan Zhou, Taliesin L. Smith, Emily B. Moore, Bruce N. Walker (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This demonstration paper presents a multimodal version of PhET's John Travoltage interactive physics simulation, designed to support learners with and without visual impairments in exploring static electricity concepts. The key design goal was creati…

  • STEM accessibility
  • sonification
  • multimodal interface
  • visual impairment
  • science education
  • PhET
  • auditory display
  • screen readers
  • universal design
  • inclusive design

• Tangicraft: A Multimodal Interface for Minecraft

  David Bar-El, Thomas Large, Lydia Davison, Marcelo Worsley (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This demonstration paper presents Tangicraft, a work-in-progress multimodal interface designed to enable visually impaired children to play and collaborate in Minecraft, one of the world's most popular video games with over 121 million copies sold. L…

  • game accessibility
  • visual impairment
  • children
  • haptic feedback
  • tangible interface
  • multimodal interface
  • educational technology
  • inclusive design
  • Minecraft

• Incorporating Social Factors in Accessible Design

  Kristen Shinohara, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Wanda Pratt (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This paper investigates how professional designers can incorporate social factors into accessible design using Design for Social Accessibility (DSA), a framework developed in prior work by Shinohara and Wobbrock. The core premise is that accessible d…

  • design methodology
  • social accessibility
  • inclusive design
  • user-centered design
  • visual impairment
  • design workshops
  • participatory design
  • stigma
  • ability-based design

• LVRS: the low vision research system

  M. Krell (1994) — Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This 1994 paper introduces the Low Vision Research System (LVRS), a computer-based research tool designed for vision researchers developing vision enhancement systems for people with low vision. The system comprises three integrated components: warpi…

  • low vision
  • vision enhancement
  • image processing
  • image warping
  • digital video
  • filtering
  • research tools
  • assistive technology development
  • visual impairment

• Interface modeling issues in providing access to GUIs for the visually impaired (panel session)

  A. D. N. Edwards, E. D. Mynatt, J. Thatcher (1994) — Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This Assets '94 panel session brought together three leading researchers to discuss the fundamental challenge of making graphical user interfaces accessible to blind and visually impaired users. By 1994, the computing world was rapidly transitioning …

  • GUI accessibility
  • screen reader
  • blind users
  • off-screen model
  • interface modeling
  • visual impairment
  • non-visual interaction
  • panel session

• Extracting content from accessible web pages

  Suhit Gupta, Gail Kaiser (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Columbia University presents Crunch, a web proxy tool that applies heuristic-based filters to extract core content from web pages by removing clutter such as advertisements, navigation menus, spacer elements, and extraneous links. Cru…

  • content extraction
  • screen readers
  • web clutter
  • DOM
  • web proxy
  • visual impairment
  • web accessibility

• AcceSS: accessibility through simplification & summarization

  Bambang Parmanto, Reza Ferrydiansyah, Andi Saptono, Lijing Song, I Wayan Sugiantara, Stephanie Hackett (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Pittsburgh presents AcceSS, a transcoding system that makes web pages more accessible to visually impaired users through two complementary strategies: simplification and summarization. The authors identify a fundamen…

  • screen readers
  • visual impairment
  • web transcoding
  • content simplification
  • web navigation
  • gestalt comprehension
  • assistive technology