Literature Reviews

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

• FocusUp: A Browser Extension for Enhancing Online Attention and Productivity for ADHD Individuals

  Wajdi Aljedaani, Weston Leonard, Hector Ruiz, Adrian Wegener (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This technical note presents FocusUp, a Chrome browser extension designed to help individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) maintain focus and improve productivity while browsing the web. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition …

  • ADHD
  • cognitive accessibility
  • browser extension
  • task management
  • executive function
  • productivity
  • attention

• Increasing Agency of Screen-Reader Users in Consuming Information From Online Data Visualizations

  Ather Sharif, Andrew Zhang, Jacob Wobbrock (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses a fundamental equity problem in data visualization accessibility: screen-reader users are limited to consuming only the information that visualization creators choose to provide, with no agency to customize what they hear. Prior …

  • data visualization accessibility
  • screen readers
  • user agency
  • sonification
  • alt text
  • data tables
  • customization
  • blind users

• Harnessing lived experience to promote accessible employment journeys

  Emma Lovegrove, Denise Bertilone, Justin Brown, Elle Beaumont-Bilsby (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This short paper describes the Inclusive Employability initiative at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, developed in 2024 to support students from equity cohorts — including people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander…

  • disability employment
  • lived experience
  • co-design
  • higher education
  • inclusive employability
  • career development
  • accessibility education

• Accessible workplace, inaccessible workflows: mandatory documents, challenges and workarounds in accessible onboarding

  Scott Hollier, Justin Brown, Ruchi Permvattana (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This short paper presents a lived-experience case study from the Centre For Accessibility Australia (CFAA), a not-for-profit accessibility auditing organization where 9 of 12 staff have lived experience of disability, including the legally blind dire…

  • PDF accessibility
  • workplace accessibility
  • government forms
  • screen readers
  • document accessibility
  • lived experience
  • onboarding

• AccessMenu: Enhancing Usability of Online Restaurant Menus for Screen Reader Users

  Nithiya Venkatraman, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Suyog Dahal, Yash Prakash, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses the significant accessibility barriers that blind and visually impaired (BVI) screen reader users face when trying to access online restaurant menus, which are typically presented as images or PDFs. The research proceeds in two p…

  • screen readers
  • blind users
  • visual document understanding
  • LLM accessibility
  • multimodal AI
  • browser extension
  • web accessibility
  • OCR

• VisualAid: Enhancing Accessibility for Visually Impaired Users Through AI

  Wajdi Aljedaani, Sijo Rejigeorge, Priya Jha, Srija Yadavalli, Manikanta Kothakota, Marcelo M. Eler, Abdulrahman Habib (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This technical note presents VisualAid, an AI-powered Android application designed to help visually impaired users understand and navigate their physical surroundings. The app integrates multiple AI technologies into a single mobile interface: YOLO11…

  • visual impairment
  • object detection
  • image captioning
  • OCR
  • voice interaction
  • mobile accessibility
  • AI-driven accessibility
  • Android

• Investigating the Work Practices of Assembly Line Workers with Visual Impairments

  Mei-Lian Vader, Marjory Pineda, Ravi Kuber (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates the work practices and experiences of assembly line workers with visual impairments at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM), an organization that provides training and employment to individuals with visual impairme…

  • workplace accessibility
  • visual impairment
  • employment
  • low-tech accessibility
  • tactile feedback
  • manufacturing
  • blind workers

• Examining and Mitigating Ability-bias in LLMs via Self-Reflection

  Neel Iyer, Akshita Jha, Alisha Pradhan (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This short paper investigates ability bias in large language models — the tendency of LLMs to encode and perpetuate stereotypical or discriminatory associations about people with disabilities. Using the Bias Benchmarking Questionnaire (BBQ) dataset, …

  • ability bias
  • ableism
  • LLM bias
  • debiasing
  • AI fairness
  • disability representation
  • prompt chaining

• Adapting Online Customer Reviews for Blind Users: A Case Study of Restaurant Reviews

  Mohan Sunkara, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Sandeep Kalari, Yash Prakash, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses the significant usability challenges blind screen reader users face when navigating online customer reviews, using restaurant reviews on Google Maps as a case study. The research proceeds in two phases. First, an interview study …

  • screen readers
  • blind users
  • online reviews
  • LLM accessibility
  • content summarization
  • sentiment analysis
  • web accessibility

• Towards an AI-Driven Video-Based American Sign Language Dictionary: Exploring Design and Usage Experience with Learners

  Saad Hassan, Matyas Bohacek, Chaelin Kim, Denise Crochet (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the design, implementation, and user evaluation of a fully automated video-based American Sign Language (ASL) dictionary that allows learners to look up unfamiliar signs by recording themselves performing the sign via webcam. Unli…

  • sign language technology
  • ASL dictionary
  • sign language recognition
  • video-based search
  • language learning
  • AI-driven accessibility