Literature Reviews

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

• EVA, an Early Vocalization Analyzer: An Empirical Validity Study of Computer Categorization

  Harriet J. Fell, Linda J. Ferrier, Zehra Mooraj, Etienne Benson, Dale Schneider (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This paper from Northeastern University presents EVA (Early Vocalization Analyzer), a Macintosh-based software tool that automatically analyzes digitized recordings of infant vocalizations to support early identification of speech and language delays…

  • early intervention
  • speech and language
  • acoustic analysis
  • infant vocalization
  • babbling
  • developmental disability
  • clinical tools
  • signal processing

• The Design and Prototyping of an App to Teach Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Empower Them Against Abuse

  Krishna Venkatasubramanian, Tina-Marie Ranalli, Jack Lanoie, Alexander Sinapi, Andrew Laraw Lama, Jeanine Skorinko, Mariah Freark, Nancy Alterio (2023) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents the design and prototyping of "Recognize," a mobile app that empowers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to independently learn about abuse. The work addresses a critical problem: people with I/DD are s…

  • intellectual disability
  • developmental disability
  • abuse prevention
  • self-advocacy
  • co-design
  • mobile app
  • e-learning
  • empowerment

• Gesture-based Interaction for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in India

  Sumita Sharma, Saurabh Srivastava, Krishnaveni Achary, Blessin Varkey, Tomi Heimonen, Jaakko Hakulinen, Markku Turunen, Nitendra Rajput (2016) — Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This full paper presents the design, development, and evaluation of Kirana, a Kinect-based gesture application that simulates purchasing groceries from a local Indian kirana (grocery) store to teach life skills to individuals with developmental disab…

  • developmental disability
  • gesture interaction
  • educational technology
  • cognitive accessibility
  • independent living
  • Global South accessibility
  • self-efficacy
  • Down syndrome
  • autism
  • participatory design

• Kirana: A Gesture-based Market App for Life Skills Learning for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

  Sumita Sharma, Saurabh Srivastava, Krishnaveni Achary, Blessin Varkey, Tomi Heimonen, Jaakko Hakulinen, Markku Turunen, Nitendra Rajput (2016) — Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This demonstration paper presents Kirana, a gesture-based application that simulates the experience of purchasing items at a local Indian grocery store ("kirana") for individuals with developmental disabilities. The application was developed in colla…

  • developmental disability
  • gesture interaction
  • educational technology
  • cognitive accessibility
  • independent living
  • global accessibility
  • Global South accessibility
  • self-efficacy

• Games for People with Developmental Disabilities

  Taylor Gotfrid (2016) — Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This short paper (doctoral consortium contribution) presents two web-based games developed for people with developmental disabilities (DD) in collaboration with Hope Services, a California non-profit. The work addresses the gap that most existing edu…

  • developmental disability
  • game accessibility
  • cognitive accessibility
  • educational technology
  • iPad
  • web application
  • intellectual disability

• Online Learning System to Help People with Developmental Disabilities Reinforce Basic Skills

  Lourdes M. Morales-Villaverde, Karina Caro, Taylor Gotfrid, Sri Kurniawan (2016) — Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents the development and evaluation of an HTML5-based web application for iPad designed to help people with developmental disabilities (DD) of all ages reinforce basic skills such as recognizing numbers, letters, money, shapes, and col…

  • developmental disability
  • intellectual disability
  • educational technology
  • cognitive accessibility
  • iPad
  • web application
  • participatory design
  • inclusive design

• WeLi: A Smartwatch Application to Assist Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

  Hui Zheng, Vivian Genaro Motti (2017) — Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This poster paper presents WeLi (Wearable Life), a smartwatch application designed to assist students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in post-secondary educational environments. The system was developed for and deployed at Mas…

  • wearable technology
  • intellectual disability
  • developmental disability
  • special education
  • self-regulation
  • assistive technology
  • smartwatch

• Using a Telepresence Robot to Improve Self-Efficacy of People with Developmental Disabilities

  Natalie Friedman, Alex Cabral (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This student research paper investigates whether telepresence robots can improve the self-efficacy and wellbeing of people with developmental disabilities (DD) by enabling them to remotely explore public spaces. People with DD often depend on others …

  • developmental disability
  • telepresence
  • robotics
  • self-efficacy
  • community participation
  • social accessibility
  • wellbeing
  • intellectual disability

• Establishing a Serious Game on Relationship Boundaries for People with Developmental Disabilities

  Samantha Conde (2020) — Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This short paper presents "Boundaries," a serious game designed to help adults with developmental disabilities explore and discuss personal relationship boundaries — a topic motivated by alarming statistics on sexual violence against this population.…

  • developmental disability
  • serious games
  • safeguarding
  • sexuality
  • cognitive accessibility
  • social cognition
  • game accessibility
  • education

• Providing and Accessing Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Mental Health Professionals, Community and Vocational Support Providers, and Adults with ASD

  Tiffany Thang, Alice Liang, Yechan Choi, Adrian Parrales, Sara H. Kuang, Sri Kurniawan, Heather Perez (2021) — Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This experience report examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the provision and receipt of essential services for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at Hope Services, a community center for adults with developmental disabilities in Calif…

  • autism spectrum disorder
  • telehealth
  • COVID-19
  • mental health
  • developmental disability
  • digital divide
  • virtual conferencing
  • community services