Literature Reviews

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

• Examining Image-Based Button Labeling for Accessibility in Android Apps through Large-Scale Analysis

  Anne Spencer Ross, Xiaoyi Zhang, James Fogarty, Jacob O. Wobbrock (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This paper presents the first large-scale analysis of mobile app accessibility, focusing specifically on label-based accessibility barriers in image-based buttons across 5,753 free Android apps. The researchers analyzed three classes of interactive i…

  • mobile accessibility
  • Android
  • screen readers
  • image labeling
  • large-scale analysis
  • automated testing
  • content descriptions

• Exploring Accessibility of Mobile Applications Through User Feedback: Insights from App Reviews in a Systematic Literature Review

  Alberto Dumont Alves Oliveira, Marcelo Medeiros Eler (2024) — Proceedings of the XXIII Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC 2024)

  This systematic literature review examines how user reviews from app stores have been used to study the accessibility of mobile applications. The authors searched five major academic databases (ACM, IEEE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science) an…

  • mobile accessibility
  • app reviews
  • user feedback
  • systematic literature review
  • user reviews
  • Android
  • machine learning
  • accessibility barriers

• JustSpeak: enabling universal voice control on Android

  Yu Zhong, T. V. Raman, Casey Burkhardt, Fadi Biadsy, Jeffrey P. Bigham (2014) — Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces JustSpeak, a universal voice control system for Android that works across all applications without requiring any developer intervention. Unlike Google Now or Siri, which only support pre-defined commands for specific apps, JustS…

  • voice interface
  • mobile accessibility
  • blindness
  • motor accessibility
  • Android
  • speech recognition
  • screen readers
  • assistive technology

• Enhancing Android Accessibility for Users with Hand Tremor by Reducing Fine Pointing and Steady Tapping

  Yu Zhong, Astrid Weber, Casey Burkhardt, Phil Weaver, Jeffrey P. Bigham (2015) — Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces Touch Guard, a system-wide Android accessibility service developed as a Google intern research project that helps users with hand tremor interact more accurately with touchscreen devices. The core problem addressed is that conve…

  • mobile accessibility
  • touchscreen accessibility
  • hand tremor
  • motor impairment
  • Android
  • assistive technology
  • target acquisition
  • pointing performance

• Application for the configuration and adaptation of the Android operating system for the visually impaired

  Bruna de Oliveira, Juliana Cristina Braga, Rafael J. Pezzuto Damaceno (2018) — Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018)

  This short paper presents the design and preliminary evaluation of an Android application that allows people with visual impairments (PVI) to configure their device’s accessibility settings using voice commands, bypassing the paradoxical problem that…

  • Android
  • visual impairment
  • blind
  • low vision
  • TalkBack
  • voice commands
  • mobile accessibility
  • accessibility settings
  • screen reader
  • Brazil

• DarkReader: Bridging the Gap Between Perception and Reality of Power Consumption in Smartphones for Blind Users

  Jian Xu, Syed Masum Billah, Roy Shilkrot, Aruna Balasubramanian (2019) — Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper presents DarkReader, a modified Android screen reader that truly turns off the smartphone screen while preserving full touchscreen interaction for blind users, saving 24-52% of power compared to the default TalkBack screen reader. The work…

  • blind
  • screen readers
  • TalkBack
  • VoiceOver
  • Android
  • power consumption
  • battery life
  • privacy
  • mobile accessibility
  • shoulder surfing

• 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