Literature Reviews

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

• Sona: Towards Context-Aware, Real-Time Personalization of Acoustic Environments for Noise Sensitivity

  Jeremy Zhengqi Huang, Emani Hicks, Sidharth, Gillian R Hayes, Dhruv Jain (2026) — Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  Huang and colleagues (University of Michigan and UC Irvine) reframe acoustic accessibility for people with noise sensitivity as selective, user-steerable soundscape mediation rather than wholesale noise cancellation. The authors argue that current co…

  • noise sensitivity
  • misophonia
  • hyperacusis
  • autism
  • neurodivergence
  • acoustic accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • machine learning
  • sensory overload

• 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