Literature Reviews

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

• Nonvisual Support for Understanding and Reasoning about Data Structures

  Brianna L. Wimer, Ritesh Kanchi, Kaija Frierson, Venkatesh Potluri, Ronald A. Metoyer, Jennifer Mankoff, Miya Natsuhara, Matt X. Wang (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Wimer, Kanchi, and colleagues present Arboretum, a web-based system that generates accessible representations of introductory data structure diagrams (arrays and binary trees) for blind and visually impaired (BVI) computer science students. The autho…

  • blind and low vision
  • BVI
  • screen readers
  • tactile graphics
  • data structures
  • computer science education
  • accessible diagrams
  • diagramming
  • nonvisual interaction
  • multimodal access
  • WAI-ARIA
  • WCAG
  • Mermaid
  • Graphviz
  • wizard of oz
  • accessible education

• Sketching Images Eyes-Free: A Grid-Based Dynamic Drawing Tool for the Blind

  Hesham M. Kamel, James A. Landay (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper presents IC2D (Integrated Communication 2 Draw), a keyboard-operated drawing tool that enables blind users to create and explore graphical images using a grid-based auditory interface. The system divides the screen into a 3x3 grid mapped t…

  • blindness
  • drawing
  • graphics
  • auditory interface
  • grid-based interface
  • nonvisual interaction
  • creativity
  • user study

• Auditory and Tactile Interfaces for Representing the Visual Effects on the Web

  Chieko Asakawa, Hironobu Takagi, Shuichi Ino, Tohru Ifukube (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper from IBM Japan and Hokkaido University explores how blind users can perceive the visual structure and emphasis effects of web pages through auditory and tactile interfaces. The researchers identified a critical gap: modern web pages increa…

  • sonification
  • tactile interface
  • blindness
  • web accessibility
  • nonvisual interaction
  • visual effects
  • screen reader
  • multimodal interaction

• A Performance Comparison of On-Hand versus On-Phone Nonvisual Input by Blind and Sighted Users

  Uran Oh, Leah Findlater (2015) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This study investigates whether using one's own hand as an input surface offers performance advantages over touchscreen phones for blind users performing nonvisual interaction. On-body input is particularly attractive for blind users because it provi…

  • on-body interaction
  • mobile accessibility
  • blindness
  • touchscreen accessibility
  • gesture input
  • proprioception
  • tactile feedback
  • nonvisual interaction
  • alternative input
  • user study

• Making Nonvisually: Lessons from the Field

  Cynthia L. Bennett, Abigale Stangl, Alexa F. Siu, Joshua A. Miele (2019) — Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This experience report shares lessons from a team of researchers, activists, and blind makers who conducted workshops introducing Arduino electronics to blind hobbyists and guided assembly of an accessible voltmeter prototype. The authors — including…

  • maker movement
  • blind
  • DIY assistive technology
  • Arduino
  • participatory design
  • nonvisual interaction
  • inclusive design
  • sonification
  • tactile graphics
  • design for user empowerment