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• Opportunities for Supporting Self-efficacy Through Orientation & Mobility Training Technologies for Blind and Partially Sighted People

  Maryam Bandukda, Catherine Holloway, Aneesha Singh, Giulia Barbareschi, Nadia Berthouze · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper examines how orientation and mobility (O&M) training shapes the self-efficacy beliefs of blind and partially sighted (BPS) people and identifies opportunities for technology to better support O&M training. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 20…

  orientation and mobility · blind and low vision · self-efficacy · assistive technology · navigation

• "That's in the eye of the beholder": Layers of Interpretation in Image Descriptions for Fictional Representations of People with Disabilities

  Emory James Edwards, Kyle Lewis Polster, Isabel Tuason, Emily Blank, Michael Gilbert, Stacy Branham · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21)

  This paper investigates how to create accurate and sensitive image descriptions for fictional representations of people with disabilities — a challenge that arises when real subjects cannot be consulted about their preferred identity terminology. The study emerged from Google's…

  image accessibility · alt text · image descriptions · disability representation · design systems

• Slidecho: Flexible Non-Visual Exploration of Presentation Videos

  Yi-Hao Peng, Jeffrey P Bigham, Amy Pavel · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21)

  This paper presents Slidecho, a system that makes recorded presentation videos accessible to blind and visually impaired learners by automatically extracting slide content and synchronizing it with the presenter's speech. The core problem is that most presentation videos —…

  video accessibility · blind and low vision · audio description · presentations · screen reader

• Disability-first Dataset Creation: Lessons from Constructing a Dataset for Teachable Object Recognition with Blind and Low Vision Data Collectors

  Lida Theodorou, Daniela Massiceti, Luisa Zintgraf, Simone Stumpf, Cecily Morrison, Edward Cutrell, Matthew Tobias Harris, Katja Hofmann · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21)

  This paper presents a disability-first approach to constructing a machine learning dataset for teachable object recognition, developed through the ORBIT (Objects that Recognize Blind Individuals in Their environment) project. The authors argue that while AI for accessibility is…

  disability-first design · dataset creation · teachable object recognition · blind and low vision · machine learning

• Accessing Passersby Proxemic Signals through a Head-Worn Camera: Opportunities and Limitations for the Blind

  Kyungjun Lee, Daisuke Sato, Saki Asakawa, Chieko Asakawa, Hernisa Kacorri · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21)

  This paper explores the potential and limitations of using head-worn cameras with computer vision to help blind people access proxemic signals — the spatial behaviour of nearby people that sighted individuals perceive visually, such as someone's presence, distance, relative…

  blind and low vision · proxemics · wearable camera · smart glasses · pedestrian detection

• Say It All: Feedback for Improving Non-Visual Presentation Accessibility

  Yi-Hao Peng, JiWoong Jang, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Amy Pavel · 2021 · Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '21)

  This paper addresses the widespread problem of inaccessible slide-based presentations for blind and visually impaired audiences. When presenters fail to verbally describe the visual content on their slides — text, images, diagrams, graphs, and videos — audience members who…

  presentation accessibility · slides · audio description · blind and low vision · real-time feedback

• Game Changer: Accessible Audio and Tactile Guidance for Board and Card Games

  Gabriella M. Johnson, Shaun K. Kane · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents Game Changer, an augmented workspace system that makes board and card games accessible to blind and visually impaired (BVI) players through a combination of audio descriptions and tactile modifications. The system uses an overhead webcam to track ArUco…

  game accessibility · blind and low vision · board games · tangible interaction · audio description

• Use of an Indoor Navigation System by Sighted and Blind Travelers: Performance Similarities across Visual Status and Age

  Nicholas A. Giudice, Benjamin A. Guenther, Toni M. Kaplan, Shane M. Anderson, Robert J. Knuesel, Joseph F. Cioffi · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study evaluates an indoor navigation system using commercial iOS devices and Bluetooth beacons to guide blind and visually impaired (BVI) travelers through complex university buildings. The research compared two navigation conditions: a system-aided mode where participants…

  indoor navigation · blind and low vision · wayfinding · Bluetooth beacons · older adults

• Spotlights and Soundscapes: On the Design of Mixed Reality Auditory Environments for Persons with Visual Impairment

  Keenan R. May, Brianna J. Tomlinson, Xiaomeng Ma, Phillip Roberts, Bruce N. Walker · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper explores the design of information-rich mixed reality (MR) auditory environments to help people with visual impairments form cognitive maps of unfamiliar indoor spaces. The research contrasts two approaches: soundscapes, where virtual objects in all directions emit…

  mixed reality · spatial audio · auditory display · cognitive maps · indoor navigation

• Design Guidelines for an Interactive 3D Model as a Supporting Tool for Exploring a Cultural Site by Visually Impaired and Sighted People

  Barbara Leporini, Valentina Rossetti, Francesco Furfari, Susanna Pelagatti, Andrea Quarta · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a methodology for creating low-cost interactive 3D printed models combined with audio descriptions to enable both visually impaired and sighted people to explore cultural heritage sites autonomously. The prototype reproduces Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa, Italy…

  3D printing · tactile graphics · cultural heritage · museum accessibility · audio description

• Rescribe: Authoring and Automatically Editing Audio Descriptions

  Amy Pavel, Gabriel Reyes, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2020 · Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '20)

  This paper introduces Rescribe, a tool that helps authors create and refine audio descriptions for videos. Audio descriptions make video content accessible to blind and visually impaired viewers by narrating important visual information during gaps in the existing audio track. A…

  audio description · video accessibility · blind and low vision · NLP · sentence compression

• Assistive Debugging to Support Accessible LaTeX Based Document Authoring

  Ahtsham Manzoor, Murayyiam Parvez, Suleman Shahid, Asim Karim · 2018 · Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This demonstration paper presents ALAP (Accessible LaTeX-based Authoring and Presentation), an open-source extension to the TeXlipse Eclipse plugin that makes LaTeX document authoring more accessible for blind researchers and writers. LaTeX is widely used for scientific and…

  mathematical accessibility · LaTeX · blind and low vision · text-to-speech · document authoring

• Improving Public Transit Accessibility for Blind Riders by Crowdsourcing Bus Stop Landmark Locations with Google Street View: An Extended Analysis

  Kotaro Hara, Shiri Azenkot, Megan Campbell, Cynthia L. Bennett, Vicki Le, Sean Pannella, Robert Moore, Kelly Minckler, Rochelle H. Ng, Jon E. Froehlich · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper tackles a fundamental challenge in public transit accessibility: helping blind and low-vision riders locate bus stops, which often lack nonvisual markers or consistent landmark placement. The researchers developed Bus Stop CSI (Crowdsourcing Streetview Inspections), a…

  public transit · blind and low vision · crowdsourcing · wayfinding · landmarks

• HoliBraille: Multipoint Vibrotactile Feedback on Mobile Devices

  Hugo Nicolau, Kyle Montague, Tiago Guerreiro, André Rodrigues, Vicki L. Hanson · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces HoliBraille, a hardware prototype that enables both Braille input and output on standard mobile touchscreen devices using vibrotactile motors. The system attaches six small vibration motors to a 3D-printed case that fits over a smartphone, with each motor…

  braille · blind and low vision · haptic technology · mobile accessibility · vibrotactile feedback

• Evaluating Accessibility-in-Use

  Markel Vigo, Simon Harper · 2013 · Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper introduces a novel method for evaluating web accessibility that goes beyond traditional guideline conformance testing. The authors argue that standards like WCAG 2.0 capture only about 53% of accessibility problems experienced by users, missing issues such as broken…

  accessibility evaluation · user interaction · behavioural analysis · screen readers · blind and low vision

• Answering Visual Questions with Conversational Crowd Assistants

  Walter S. Lasecki, Phyo Thiha, Yu Zhong, Erin Brady, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2013 · Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2013)

  This paper introduces Chorus:View, a system that enables blind users to get visual questions answered through continuous conversational interaction with multiple crowd workers viewing a live video stream from the user's mobile device. The system addresses key limitations of…

  blind and low vision · crowdsourcing · human computation · assistive technology · visual assistance

• Universal and Ubiquitous Web Access with Capti

  Yevgen Borodin, Andrii Sovyak, Alexander Dimitriyadi, Yury Puzis, Valentyn Melnyk, Faisal Ahmed, Glenn Dausch, I. V. Ramakrishnan · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This demo paper presents Capti, a cross-platform web browsing application designed to make web access more usable for both blind and sighted users. Capti addresses two interconnected problems: the inefficiency of traditional screen readers for finding and consuming web content,…

  screen readers · assistive technology · blind and low vision · text-to-speech · universal design

• Doing Math: Mathematics Accessibility Issues

  Nancy Alajarmeh · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This student award paper argues that mathematics accessibility for visually impaired students must move beyond rendering (displaying and reading mathematical notation) to support "doing the math" — the active manipulation of algebraic expressions, equation solving,…

  mathematical accessibility · blind and low vision · STEM accessibility · education accessibility · assistive technology

• An Adaptive Videos Enrichment System Based on Decision Trees for People with Sensory Disabilities

  José Francisco Saray Villamizar, Benoît Encelle, Yannick Prié, Pierre-Antoine Champin · 2011 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the ACAV (Collaborative Annotation for Video Accessibility) project at the University of Lyon proposes an adaptive system that personalises how video accessibility descriptions are presented to users with sensory disabilities. The core insight is that predefined,…

  video accessibility · multimedia accessibility · machine learning · personalization · adaptive systems

• AccessibleNews DAISY: Newspapers in DAISY

  Gaurang Kanvinde, Saurabh Gupta · 2011 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents AccessibleNews DAISY, software developed by Accessible Systems in Mumbai, India, that automatically converts web-based newspaper and magazine content into DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) digital talking books. The authors identify that while the…

  DAISY · blind and low vision · assistive technology · news accessibility · digital talking books

• Accessibility Approach to Adopting Web Technologies

  Neil King, Damien McCormack · 2011 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents findings from a comprehensive Australian Government-commissioned study by Vision Australia into the accessibility of the PDF format for people with disabilities. The three-phase research combined user consultation (focus groups with blind and low vision…

  PDF accessibility · assistive technology · blind and low vision · screen readers · document accessibility

• Application of Content Adaptation in Web Accessibility for the Blind

  Pauli P. Y. Lai · 2011 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper proposes transforming web pages into hierarchical, numbered menu structures — modeled on Interactive Voice Response Systems (IVRS) — so blind users can navigate content by pressing number keys rather than listening sequentially through entire pages. The author…

  blind and low vision · content adaptation · screen readers · mobile accessibility · web page segmentation

• WAI-ARIA Live Regions and HTML5

  Peter Thiessen · 2011 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper examines the interoperability of WAI-ARIA live regions with HTML5 semantic elements, testing whether screen readers can correctly handle dynamic DOM updates when live region attributes are applied to new HTML5 elements like section, nav, and article. The author…

  WAI-ARIA · HTML5 · screen readers · dynamic content · AJAX

• HapticRiaMaps: Towards Interactive Exploration of Web World Maps for the Visually Impaired

  Nikolaos Kaklanis, Konstantinos Votis, Panagiotis Moschonas, Dimitrios Tzovaras · 2011 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents HapticRiaMaps, a free open-source web application from the Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH) in Greece that makes online 2D maps accessible to visually impaired users through haptic force feedback and audio sonification. The system retrieves…

  blind and low vision · haptic technology · accessible maps · sonification · multimodal interaction

• Crosschecking the Mobile Web for People with Visual Impairments

  Luís Carriço, Rui Lopes, Rogério Bandeira · 2011 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper proposes a framework for evaluating mobile web accessibility for specific disability profiles by coherently merging three sets of guidelines: WCAG (web accessibility), W3C Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBP), and disability classifications from the ICF. The authors argue…

  mobile accessibility · blind and low vision · WCAG compliance · accessibility evaluation · web standards