Literature Reviews

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

• Remotely Co-Designing Features for Communication Applications using Automatic Captioning with Deaf and Hearing Pairs

  Matthew Seita, Sooyeon Lee, Sarah Andrew, Kristen Shinohara, Matt Huenerfauth (2022) — Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '22)

  This CHI 2022 paper addresses two intertwined problems. First, methodologically, how can co-design research involving both Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) and hearing participants be conducted remotely during and beyond COVID-19, when in-person sessions a…

  • automatic speech recognition
  • deaf and hard of hearing
  • participatory design
  • co-design
  • videoconferencing
  • captioning
  • captions
  • mixed-ability
  • accessibility research
  • remote research

• Using participatory activities with seniors to critique, build, and evaluate mobile phones

  Michael Massimi, Ronald M. Baecker, Michael Wu (2007) — Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This Assets '07 paper from University of Toronto engages older adults not as subjects of a usability study but as co-designers of a mobile phone system. Massimi, Baecker, and Wu argue that the two dominant trends in 'senior-friendly' phone design — o…

  • mobile accessibility
  • older adults
  • aging
  • participatory design
  • co-design
  • paper prototyping
  • usability
  • design guidelines
  • scenario-based design
  • PICTIVE

• Safe Walking Technology for People with Dementia: What Do They Want?

  Kristine Holbø, Silje Bøthun, Yngve Dahl (2013) — Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper investigates how safe walking technology can be designed to meet the actual needs and preferences of people with dementia, rather than imposing surveillance-based solutions on them. The researchers worked with three people with early-stage…

  • dementia
  • participatory design
  • assistive technology
  • GPS tracking
  • safe walking
  • person-centered care
  • co-design
  • surveillance
  • aging

• Co-designing Socially Assistive Sidekicks for Motion-based AAC

  Stephanie Valencia, Michal Luria, Amy Pavel, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Henny Admoni (2021) — Proceedings of the 2021 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI '21)

  This paper explores how socially assistive robots, framed as "sidekicks," could provide AAC users with a nonverbal channel of communication to support their conversational goals. While AAC devices enable speech-based communication through synthesized…

  • AAC
  • nonverbal communication
  • socially assistive robots
  • co-design
  • human-robot interaction
  • cerebral palsy
  • motor disability
  • participatory design

• Nonverbal Communication through Expressive Objects

  Stephanie Valencia, Mark Steidl, Michael L. Rivera, Cynthia L. Bennett, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Henny Admoni (2023) — Communications of the ACM

  This paper explores how physical motion through an expressive object — a "sidekick" — can support nonverbal communication for augmented communicators (ACs) who use AAC devices. The work centres on Mark, a co-author with cerebral palsy who has used AA…

  • AAC
  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • cerebral palsy
  • nonverbal communication
  • co-design
  • participatory design
  • assistive technology
  • motor disabilities
  • turn-taking

• littleBits go LARGE: Making Electronics More Accessible to People with Learning Disabilities

  Nicholas D. Hollinworth, Faustina Hwang, Kate Allen, Gosia Kwiatkowska, Andy Minnion (2014) — Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This demo paper presents "littleBits go LARGE," a project that adapts littleBits electronic modules — small, magnetic snap-together electronic components designed to simplify electronics for general audiences — to make them more accessible to people …

  • learning disabilities
  • accessible making
  • DIY assistive technology
  • co-design
  • museum accessibility
  • tangible interaction
  • sensory objects
  • inclusive design

• Irrelevant Gadgets or a Source of Worry: Exploring Wearable Activity Trackers with Older Adults

  Dimitri Vargemidis, Kathrin Gerling, Vero Vanden Abeele, Luc Geurts, Katta Spiel (2021) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This qualitative study explores older adults' perspectives on wearable activity trackers and physical activity (PA), addressing a gap in research that typically focuses on system performance rather than user perspectives. The researchers conducted a …

  • wearables
  • older adults
  • physical activity
  • participatory design
  • co-design
  • thematic analysis
  • activity trackers
  • aging
  • qualitative research

• Toward a Competency-based Approach to Co-designing Technologies with People with Intellectual Disability

  Andrew A. Bayor, Margot Brereton, Laurianne Sitbon, Bernd Ploderer, Filip Bircanin, Benoit Favre, Stewart Koplick (2021) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper proposes a Competency-based design approach for co-designing technologies with people with intellectual disability, extending Wobbrock et al.'s influential ability-based design framework. While ability-based design focuses on what users "c…

  • intellectual disability
  • co-design
  • participatory design
  • ability-based design
  • cognitive accessibility
  • social media
  • accessible design methodology

• Towards Designing Mobile Apps for Independent Travel: Exploring Current Barriers and Opportunities for Supporting Young Adults with Down's Syndrome

  A. M. Khan, P. Langdon, J. Bichard, P. J. Clarkson, S. Tunnard, L. Dubiel, P. Dunlop, M. Lennon (2021) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive study uses a three-cycle Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology to understand barriers to independent travel for young adults with Down's Syndrome (DS) and develop a smartphone app prototype to address them. The research i…

  • Down syndrome
  • intellectual disabilities
  • independent travel
  • public transport accessibility
  • wayfinding
  • mobile apps
  • participatory action research
  • co-design
  • navigation
  • cognitive accessibility

• A Support Worker Perspective on Use of New Technologies by People with Intellectual Disabilities

  Saminda Sundeepa Balasuriya, Laurianne Sitbon, Margot Brereton (2022) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This qualitative study examines how support workers and managers at Australian disability community day centres perceive and facilitate technology use by people with intellectual disabilities. The researchers interviewed 15 support workers and 5 mana…

  • intellectual disability
  • support workers
  • technology adoption
  • disability services
  • co-design
  • qualitative research
  • caregivers