Literature Reviews

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

• AI That Moves With You: A Review of Interactive Technologies Powered by Large Foundation Models for Mobility Impairment

  Duosi Dai, Yuchong Zhang, Yong Ma, Danica Kragic (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper is a scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) of how large foundation models - LLMs, large vision models, and vision-language models - are being woven into interactive assistive technologies for people with mobility impairments, covering publications f…

  • foundation model
  • large language model
  • vision-language model
  • literature review
  • scoping review
  • mobility impairment
  • motor disability
  • blind and low vision
  • wheelchair users
  • ALS
  • assistive technology
  • conversational agent
  • robotics
  • wearable technology
  • accessibility research

• Collaboration and Assistive Technology: Facilitating Joint Awareness for Noise Sensitivity

  Emani Hicks, Luc Rieffel, Ariya Gowda, Aehong Min, Gillian R Hayes (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  People with noise sensitivity (PWNS) - including those with misophonia, hyperacusis, and tinnitus, and overlapping strongly with the autistic community (estimated 45% prevalence) - experience everyday sounds as painful, distressing, or overwhelming. …

  • noise sensitivity
  • misophonia
  • hyperacusis
  • sensory processing
  • autism
  • neurodivergence
  • wearable technology
  • mobile accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • collaborative care
  • self-regulation
  • technology probe
  • qualitative research

• ElectroGrasp: Electrotactile Aids for Visually Impaired Individuals in Anticipatory Planning and Control of Grasp

  Hechuan Zhang, Rufei Song, Ruoyan Liu, Shengsheng Jiang, Xiaohui Tan, Tianren Luo, Yulin Jin, Hongnan Lin, Teng Han, Feng Tian (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Sighted people pre-shape their hand before touching an object - a visually-driven anticipatory grasp plan that visually impaired (VI) users cannot form, leading to the characteristic 'double grip' (initial contact followed by compensatory regrasp) th…

  • blind and low vision
  • electrotactile feedback
  • haptic technology
  • assistive technology
  • wearable technology
  • spatial perception
  • grasping
  • proprioception
  • sensory substitution
  • motor control
  • cross-modal plasticity

• Shared Stories, Shared Bonds: People with Dementia Exploring Generative AI Together

  Teis Arets, Maarten Houben, Fleur van Haeren, Wijnand IJsselsteijn, Giulia Perugia (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper reports on a qualitative workshop study examining how people living with mild to moderate dementia engage with three generative AI tools - Microsoft Copilot (text), Midjourney (images), and Suno (music) - in a group setting, and what forms…

  • dementia
  • generative AI
  • social connectedness
  • cognitive accessibility
  • aging
  • participatory design
  • qualitative research
  • thematic analysis
  • reminiscence
  • shared reality
  • personhood
  • co-creation

• GuideMe: A VLM-Based System Assisting Independent Smartphone Learning for Older Adults

  Kairong Fang, Jiesi Zhang, Shi-Ting Ni, Pan Hui, Yuyang Wang (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  GuideMe tackles a problem familiar to anyone who has watched an older relative struggle to learn a new smartphone app: the combined weight of declining vision, memory, and motor function plus unfamiliar terminology makes independent learning extremel…

  • older adults
  • aging
  • cognitive accessibility
  • vision-language model
  • conversational agent
  • independent learning
  • smartphone accessibility
  • in-situ guidance
  • mobile accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • intent articulation
  • clarifying questions

• MoveTogether: Exploring Physical Co-op Gameplay in Mixed-Reality

  Pin Chun Lu, Wen-Fan Wang, Che Wei Wang, Ting-Ying Lee, TsaiHsuan Lin, Duo-Jie Hsiao, CheHan Hsieh, YuTing Tseng, Neng-Hao Yu, Mike Y. Chen (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper introduces MoveTogether, a mixed-reality (MR) co-op gameplay mechanic in which two co-located players jointly operate a single tracked physical prop that is virtually transformed inside a Meta Quest 3 MR scene (a ring, a trampolin…

  • mixed reality
  • shared haptic controller
  • co-located collaboration
  • tangible interaction
  • accessible gaming
  • shared control
  • co-op gameplay
  • haptics
  • game accessibility
  • assistive technology

• Tinged with Heartbreak: An Ethnographic Account of Navigating Autistic Loneliness and the Fragile Promise of AI Companionship

  Anna Hollis (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper is a reflexive ethnographic case study (n=1) of 'Andrea', a middle-aged autistic businesswoman in the Western world, and her six-month relationship with Xander, a Replika AI companion she ultimately lost to a corrupting software u…

  • chatbot companions
  • autism
  • grief
  • technological instability
  • AI companionship
  • replika
  • large language models
  • loneliness
  • masking
  • autistic burnout
  • ethnography
  • disenfranchised grief
  • double empathy problem

• GenRole: Personalizing Role Play for Educators Supporting Autistic Students' Social Interaction Learning

  Yixuan Li, Keyi Zeng, Jiaqi Zong, Yingying Zhang, Hongzhu Deng, Li Wang, Xin Tong (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper introduces GenRole, a generative-AI system that helps educators build personalised role-play activities for teaching social interaction skills to autistic children. Motivated by the gap between role-play as a well-evidenced teachi…

  • generative AI
  • personalization
  • social skills training
  • autistic children
  • role play
  • special education
  • large language models
  • educational technology
  • inclusive education
  • assistive technology

• Navigating Neurodivergence with AI Chatbots: Benefits, Tensions, and Implications for HCI

  Deepak Giri, Erin Brady, Megh Marathe (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 short paper presents a qualitative interview study of how neurodivergent adults use AI chatbots (primarily ChatGPT) in everyday life, and what tensions arise. The authors conducted 23 semi-structured, 50-minute Zoom interviews with part…

  • neurodivergence
  • AI chatbots
  • ADHD
  • autism
  • masking
  • working memory
  • emotional regulation
  • large language models
  • mental health
  • privacy
  • authenticity

• Lost in Translation: Understanding Autistic-Neurotypical Communication Style Differences in Job Postings

  Huining Feng, Zinat Ara, Andrew Hundt, Slobodan Vucetic, John Joon Young Chung, Sungsoo Ray Hong (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates a concrete and consequential site of autistic-neurotypical (NT) communication mismatch: the written job posting. Autistic adults face an approximately 85% unemployment or underemployment rate (compared to 4% in the ge…

  • autism
  • autistic communication
  • communication style differences
  • autistic employment
  • double empathy problem
  • pragmatic language
  • workplace accessibility
  • natural language processing
  • large language models
  • data annotation
  • disability justice