Literature Reviews

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

• NeuroBridge: Using Generative AI to Bridge Cross-neurotype Communication Differences through Neurotypical Perspective-taking

  Rukhshan Haroon, Kyle Wigdor, Katie Yang, Nicole Toumanios, Eileen T Crehan, Fahad Dogar (2025) — ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents NeuroBridge, an LLM-powered interactive platform designed to help neurotypical individuals better understand autistic communication styles and reflect on their own role in cross-neurotype communication breakdowns. The system is gr…

  • autism
  • neurodiversity
  • large language models
  • cross-neurotype communication
  • perspective-taking
  • double empathy problem
  • social model of disability
  • AI simulation

• "I Felt Like I Was in a Fishbowl": Lived Experience with Telepresence and Non-Visible Disabilities in Higher Education

  Hanlin Zhang, Yifan Feng, Adam Walker, Jennifer A. Rode (2025) — ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents the first ethnographic study of telepresence robot use by students with non-visible disabilities in higher education. The researchers conducted a 10-week ethnography in a postgraduate seminar course at University College London, w…

  • telepresence
  • non-visible disability
  • neurodiversity
  • mental health
  • higher education
  • ethnography
  • autism
  • ADHD
  • PTSD
  • social model of disability

• Rethinking Productivity with GenAI: A Neurodivergent Students' Perspective

  Hira Jamshed, Mustafa Naseem, Venkatesh Potluri, Robin N. Brewer (2025) — Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '25)

  This qualitative study examines how 19 neurodivergent university students (including those with ADHD, autism, OCD, dysgraphia, and auditory processing disorder) use LLM-based generative AI tools like ChatGPT in their academic work. Through semi-struc…

  • neurodiversity
  • generative AI
  • cognitive accessibility
  • higher education
  • disability studies
  • qualitative research
  • crip time
  • executive function

• Accessibility through Awareness of Noise Sensitivity Management and Regulation Practices

  Emani Dotch, Avery Mavrovounioti, Weijie Du, Elizabeth Ankrah, Jazette Johnson, Aehong Min, Gillian R Hayes (2024) — ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how people with noise sensitivity (PWNS) manage and regulate their responses to sound, and identifies opportunities for technology-mediated support. Noise sensitivity — experiencing sounds as disproportionately distressing, pa…

  • noise sensitivity
  • sensory processing
  • neurodiversity
  • self-regulation
  • awareness
  • interdependence
  • collaborative management
  • caregivers
  • assistive technology

• TwIPS: A Large Language Model Powered Texting Application to Simplify Conversational Nuances for Autistic Users

  Rukhshan Haroon, Fahad Dogar (2024) — ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents TwIPS, a prototype texting application powered by a large language model that assists autistic users with the pragmatic and tonal aspects of text-based communication. Many autistic individuals experience difficulties interpreting …

  • autism
  • communication
  • large language models
  • text messaging
  • tone interpretation
  • masking
  • social cognition
  • AI-assisted communication
  • neurodiversity

• "I Try to Represent Myself as I Am": Self-Presentation Preferences of People with Invisible Disabilities through Embodied Social VR Avatars

  Ria J. Gualano, Lucy Jiang, Kexin Zhang, Tanisha Shende, Andrea Stevenson Won, Shiri Azenkot (2024) — ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how people with invisible disabilities want to represent their disability identity through avatars in social virtual reality environments. While prior research has explored avatar-based disability disclosure for blind and d/De…

  • invisible disability
  • virtual reality
  • avatars
  • self-presentation
  • disability disclosure
  • identity
  • social VR
  • ADHD
  • chronic conditions
  • neurodiversity

• Co-Designing Programmable Fidgeting Experience with Swarm Robots for Adults with ADHD

  Samira Pulatova, Lawrence H Kim (2024) — ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper explores how small tabletop swarm robots can provide customisable fidgeting experiences for adults with ADHD through co-design sessions with 16 diagnosed participants. Fidgeting — repetitive body movements or object manipulation — has been…

  • ADHD
  • fidgeting
  • swarm robots
  • co-design
  • emotional regulation
  • sensory stimulation
  • neurodiversity
  • tangible interaction
  • customisation

• Co-designing Robot Dogs with and for Neurodivergent Individuals: Opportunities and Challenges

  Ha-Kyung Kong, Derek Xie, Ankith Chandra, Rachel Lowy, Arielle F Maignan, Sehoon Ha, Chung Hyuk Park, Jennifer G Kim (2024) — ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper explores how robot dogs might support the daily lives of neurodivergent individuals through a series of three co-design workshops conducted over five weeks. While social robots have been studied in clinical and educational settings for neu…

  • neurodiversity
  • social robotics
  • co-design
  • participatory design
  • autism
  • ADHD
  • emotional support
  • human-robot interaction

• Inclusion as a Process: Co-Designing an Inclusive Robotic Game with Neurodiverse Classrooms

  Patricia Piedade, Isabel Neto, Ana Cristina Pires, Rui Prada, Hugo Nicolau (2024) — Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper documents a seven-month co-design process in which researchers worked with 80 children (18 of whom were neurodivergent) across four neurodiverse classrooms in Lisbon, Portugal, to design an inclusive tabletop robotic game. The children, ag…

  • neurodiversity
  • children
  • co-design
  • inclusive play
  • robotics
  • participatory design
  • education