Literature Reviews

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

• Investigating the Navigational Habits of People who are Blind in India

  Anirudh Nagraj, Ravi Kuber, Foad Hamidi, Raghavendra SG Prasad (2021) — The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2021)

  This paper presents a qualitative study of the navigational experiences of 14 people who are legally blind in the Bangalore metropolitan area of India, a low and middle income country (LMIC) where infrastructure conditions differ substantially from t…

  • visual impairments
  • blindness
  • navigation
  • wayfinding
  • assistive technology
  • low and middle income countries
  • India
  • white cane
  • public transportation
  • orientation and mobility

• Enabling meaningful use of AI-infused educational technologies for children with blindness: Learnings from the development and piloting of the PeopleLens curriculum

  Cecily Morrison, Edward Cutrell, Martin Grayson, Elisabeth RB Becker, Vasiliki Kladouchou, Linda Pring, Katherine Jones, Rita Faia Marques, Camilla Longden, Abigail Sellen (2021) — Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21)

  This paper presents the development and pilot evaluation of a curriculum designed to support the meaningful use of PeopleLens, an AI-powered augmented reality system that helps children born blind develop social attention skills. PeopleLens uses a he…

  • blindness
  • children
  • AI accessibility
  • augmented reality
  • spatial audio
  • social interaction
  • educational technology
  • assistive technology
  • curriculum design
  • low-incidence disability

• "It is fascinating to make these beasts fly": Understanding Visually Impaired People's Motivations and Needs for Drone Piloting

  Vinitha Gadiraju, Sanika Moharana, Aisha Azhar, Kimberley Gans, Shane T. Mueller, Jenna L. Gorlewicz (2021) — Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21)

  This paper investigates the motivations, interests, and accessibility needs of blind and visually impaired (BVI) people regarding drone piloting. While drones have been explored as assistive tools for BVI users — helping with navigation, obstacle det…

  • visual impairment
  • blindness
  • drones
  • assistive technology
  • accessible interaction
  • multimodal feedback
  • inclusive design
  • user research

• Making the Elusive More Tangible: Remote Tools & Techniques for Teaching Web Development to Screen Reader Users

  Claire Ferrari, Chancey Fleet, Keita Ohshiro, Veronica Alfaro Arias, Amy Hurst (2021) — Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a free, remote web development workshop for 12 screen reader users, conducted over nine Saturday sessions between August and October 2020. The workshop was a collaboration between New…

  • education accessibility
  • screen readers
  • web development
  • STEM accessibility
  • blindness
  • tactile graphics
  • inclusive design
  • participatory design

• AccessComics: An Accessible Digital Comic Book Reader for People with Visual Impairments

  Yunjung Lee, Hwayeon Joh, Suhyeon Yoo, Uran Oh (2021) — Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from Ewha Womans University in Seoul presents AccessComics, a web-based accessible digital comic book reader for people with visual impairments (PVI). Comics are a popular medium available on many digital platforms, yet almost none support…

  • visual impairment
  • blindness
  • low vision
  • content accessibility
  • screen readers
  • audio description
  • digital media
  • reading accessibility

• Learning Music Blind: Understanding the Application of Technology to Support BLV Music Learning

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

  This doctoral consortium paper outlines a three-study PhD research program investigating how wearable technologies with vibrotactile feedback can support blind and low vision (BLV) music learners. The research is motivated by the significant barriers…

  • music accessibility
  • blindness
  • low vision
  • haptic technology
  • wearable technology
  • music education
  • co-design
  • vibrotactile feedback
  • assistive technology

• Empowering Blind Musicians to Compose and Notate Music with SoundCells

  William Christopher Payne, Fabiha Ahmed, Michael Zachor, Michael Gardell, Isabel Huey, Amy Hurst, R. Luke DuBois (2022) — Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents a six-week remote study in which six blind and visually impaired (BVI) musicians used SoundCells, a text-based music notation web application, to compose original short works culminating in a live performance by a professional mus…

  • music accessibility
  • blindness
  • braille music
  • creative expression
  • assistive technology
  • text-based interface
  • co-design
  • longitudinal study

• Performing Qualitative Data Analysis as a Blind Researcher: Challenges, Workarounds and Design Recommendations

  O. Aishwarya (2022) — Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This short paper provides a first-person account from a blind early-career researcher about the significant accessibility barriers encountered when trying to perform qualitative data analysis (QDA). The author, based at IIIT Bangalore, situates the w…

  • blindness
  • screen readers
  • qualitative research
  • research accessibility
  • academic accessibility
  • software accessibility
  • participatory research
  • disability studies

• Low-Cost Tactile Coloring Page Fabrication on a Cutting Machine: Assembly and user experiences of cardstock-layered tangible pictures

  Nicole Johnson, Tom Yeh, Ann Cunningham (2022) — Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This short paper presents a design inquiry into using a consumer-grade Cricut cutting machine to create tactile pictures and coloring pages by layering cardstock, as a low-cost alternative to traditional tactile image production methods. The techniqu…

  • tactile graphics
  • blindness
  • low vision
  • early learning
  • DIY assistive technology
  • digital fabrication
  • tactile graphicacy
  • braille
  • education accessibility

• Uncovering Visually Impaired Gamers' Preferences for Spatial Awareness Tools Within Video Games

  Vishnu Nair, Shao-en Ma, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Yicheng He, Karen Lin, Mason Hayes, Hannah Huddleston, Matthew Donnelly, Brian A. Smith (2022) — Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates how visually impaired players (VIPs) gain spatial awareness within 3D video games by comparing four leading spatial awareness tool (SAT) approaches. The researchers built Dungeon Escape, a 3D third-person adventure game using …

  • game accessibility
  • visual impairment
  • blindness
  • spatial awareness
  • audio navigation
  • 3D audio
  • sonification
  • echolocation
  • tactile map
  • user study