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• Self-supervised learning using unlabeled speech with multiple types of speech disorder for disordered speech recognition

  Ryoichi Takashima, Takeru Otani, Ryo Aihara, Tetsuya Takiguchi, Shinya Taguchi · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper tackles a critical barrier in accessible speech technology: automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems perform poorly for people with speech disorders because they are trained almost exclusively on typical speech. The authors from Kobe University and Mitsubishi…

  speech recognition · speech disorders · machine learning · self-supervised learning · assistive technology

• Towards Designing Digital Learning Tools for Students with Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairments: Leveraging Insights from Teachers of the Visually Impaired

  Adele Smolansky, Miranda Yang, Shiri Azenkot · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This paper investigates how digital learning tools should be designed to support students with cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI), a neurological condition that affects the brain's ability to process visual information rather than the eyes themselves. CVI is now the most…

  cortical visual impairment · education · digital learning tools · visual impairment · assistive technology

• Receptive Design Methodologies: Human-Centered Design methodologies receptive to adaptation, accessibility and inclusion

  Apoorva Avadhana · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '24)

  This short paper proposes a set of new design methodologies that bridge the gaps between Human-Centred Design (HCD), accessibility research, disability studies, occupational therapy (OT), and assistive technology (AT) development. The author argues that these fields have…

  design methods · assistive technology · inclusive design · occupational therapy · adaptation

• WheelPoser: Sparse-IMU Based Body Pose Estimation for Wheelchair Users

  Yunzhi Li, Vimal Mollyn, Kuang Yuan, Patrick Carrington · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents WheelPoser, a real-time body pose estimation system designed specifically for wheelchair users using only four inertial measurement units (IMUs). Existing pose estimation methods are largely developed for standing and ambulatory users, relying on assumptions…

  wheelchair users · pose estimation · inertial measurement units · motion capture · body tracking

• Dude, Where's My Luggage? An Autoethnographic Account of Airport Navigation by a Traveler with Residual Vision

  Cameron Tyler Cassidy, Stacy Marie Branham · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents an autoethnographic study of airport navigation by a legally blind traveler with residual vision, conducted across eight round-trips through six U.S. airports. The first author, Cameron, who has Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy resulting in approximately…

  visual impairment · low vision · residual vision · indoor navigation · wayfinding

• An Ecosystem of Support: A U.S. State Government-Supported DIY-AT Program for Residents with Disabilities

  Erin Higgins, Marie E Sakowicz, Foad Hamidi · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper documents an Action Research study in which the authors collaborated with the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) to launch and study a state-level Do-It-Yourself Assistive Technology (DIY-AT) program. The program connected people with disabilities who needed…

  assistive technology · DIY · digital fabrication · 3D printing · makerspaces

• "Seven Stitches Later": A Technologically Interdependent Travel Experience From The Perspective Of A Visually Impaired Individual

  Aziz N Zeidieh · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This autoethnographic experience report presents a technologically interdependent travel framework developed from over ten years of first-hand travel experience by the author, a visually impaired individual. The paper's title references a real injury — seven stitches from…

  visual impairment · travel · navigation · orientation and mobility · autoethnography

• Information Wayfinding of Screen Reader Users: Five Personas to Expand Conceptualizations of User Experiences

  J. Bern Jordan, Victoria Van Hyning, Mason A. Jones, Rachael Bradley Montgomery, Elizabeth Bottner, Evan Tansil · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents five user personas representing the diverse range of screen reader experiences, developed from observations across several studies with blind screen reader users. The authors challenge the common assumption in research and development that screen reader users…

  screen readers · blind users · personas · user experience · information wayfinding

• SeaHare: An omnidirectional electric wheelchair integrating independent, remote and shared control modalities

  Giulia Barbareschi, Ando Ryoichi, Midori Kawaguchi, Minato Takeda, Kouta Minamizawa · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents SeaHare, an omnidirectional electric wheelchair that integrates three control paradigms — independent, remote, and shared — within a single platform, enabling direct comparison of how different control modes affect the experience of both wheelchair riders and…

  wheelchair · electric wheelchair · omnidirectional · shared control · remote control

• Accessibility through Awareness of Noise Sensitivity Management and Regulation Practices

  Emani Dotch, Avery Mavrovounioti, Weijie Du, Elizabeth Ankrah, Jazette Johnson, Aehong Min, Gillian R Hayes · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how people with noise sensitivity (PWNS) manage and regulate their responses to sound, and identifies opportunities for technology-mediated support. Noise sensitivity — experiencing sounds as disproportionately distressing, painful, or overwhelming —…

  noise sensitivity · sensory processing · neurodiversity · self-regulation · awareness

• I tried everything. Nothing works: Challenges and Creative Processes from Digital Artists with Upper Limb Motor Impairments

  Rodolfo Cossovich, Shanel Wu, Audrey Girouard · 2024 · ASSETS 2024: 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This study investigates the complex relationship between accessibility challenges and creative processes for digital artists with upper limb motor impairments. Through 15 semi-structured interviews with artists who regularly use graphic input devices (mice, digital pads,…

  motor impairment · digital art · creative processes · graphic input devices · disability art

• From Information Seeking to Empowerment: Using Large Language Model Chatbot in Supporting Wheelchair Life in Low Resource Settings

  Wen Mo, Aneesha Singh, Catherine Holloway · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper explores the deployment of Wheelpedia, a WhatsApp chatbot powered by GPT-4, as a design probe to support wheelchair users and professionals in Nigeria and Kenya over a two-month period. The WHO estimates that approximately 80 million people globally require a…

  wheelchair · assistive technology · chatbot · large language model · low and middle-income countries

• "We Musicians Know How to Divide and Conquer": Exploring Multimodal Interactions To Improve Music Reading and Memorization for Blind and Low Vision Learners

  Leon Lu, Chase Crispin, Audrey Girouard · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper investigates how multimodal assistive technologies (MATs) combining sound, vibration, and touch can improve music reading and memorization for blind or low-vision (BLV) musicians and learners. The study involved nine BLV participants from The FMDG Music School in New…

  visual impairment · music accessibility · Braille music · multimodal interaction · vibrotactile feedback

• A Recipe for Success? Exploring Strategies for Improving Non-Visual Access to Cooking Instructions

  Franklin Mingzhe Li, Ashley Wang, Patrick Carrington, Shaun K. Kane · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper investigates how people with vision impairments access and follow cooking recipes, identifying practices, challenges, and design opportunities for more accessible kitchen technologies. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 blind cooks (ranging…

  blind · visual impairment · cooking accessibility · recipe access · assistive technology

• MaskSound: Exploring Sound Masking Approaches to Support People with Autism in Managing Noise Sensitivity

  Anna Y Park, Andy Jin, Jeremy Zhengqi Huang, Jesse Carr, Dhruv Jain · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper investigates sound masking as an alternative strategy for helping autistic individuals manage noise sensitivity in everyday environments. Unlike noise cancellation or isolation approaches that block out environmental sounds entirely, sound masking introduces ambient…

  autism · noise sensitivity · sound masking · sensory accessibility · auditory environment

• Looking Past Screens: Exploring Mixed Reality and Discreet AAC Devices

  Humphrey Curtis, Adam D G Jenkins, Seray B Ibrahim, Timothy Neate · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper challenges the dominance of tablet-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices by co-designing mixed reality (MR) and discreet assistive technologies with people living with aphasia following stroke. Current AAC devices are typically…

  augmentative and alternative communication · mixed reality · aphasia · co-design · wearable technology

• The Promise and Pitfalls of Web Accessibility Overlays for Blind and Low Vision Users

  Tlamelo Makati, Garreth W. Tigwell, Kristen Shinohara · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This study provides the first substantial empirical evidence from blind and low-vision users about their experiences with web accessibility overlays—third-party JavaScript tools that claim to enhance website usability for people with disabilities by adding an additional…

  web accessibility · accessibility overlays · screen readers · blind users · low vision

• Brain Body Jockey project: Transcending Bodily Limitations in Live Performance via Human Augmentation

  Giulia Barbareschi, Songchen Zhou, Ando Ryoichi, Midori Kawaguchi, Mark Armstrong, Mikito Ogino, Shunsuke Aoiki, Eisaku Ohta, Harunobu Taguchi, Youichi Kamiyama, Masatane Muto, Kentaro Yoshifuji, Kouta Minamizawa · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper documents a groundbreaking collaboration between a professional VDJ (video disc jockey) with advanced Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and a team of researchers and technologists to create a human augmentation system enabling brain-controlled robotic arms for live…

  brain-machine interface · ALS · human augmentation · disability arts · robotic arms

• Audio Description Customization

  Rosiana Natalie, Ruei-Che Chang, Smitha Sheshadri, Anhong Guo, Kotaro Hara · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper investigates how audio descriptions (AD) for video content can be customized to meet the diverse preferences of blind and low-vision (BLV) users. Traditional ADs are fixed narratives created by sighted describers, offering no ability for users to adjust what…

  audio description · blind and low vision · customization · video accessibility · assistive technology

• The Treatment of Amblyopia and Astigmatism through Eye Tracking and Serious Games

  Tahani Jaser Alahmadi, Rania AlAblani, Najla Bin Eid, Reyoof AlHumaidi, Amal AlMeiman, Farah AlNujaidi · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This paper presents Abs'arnna, a mobile application that combines serious games with eye-tracking technology to treat amblyopia (lazy eye) and astigmatism in children. The authors from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia address a significant gap in…

  serious games · eye tracking · vision therapy · assistive technology · pediatric accessibility

• "Pretty Much an Advocate as Well": Investigating the Experiences of Self-Employed Individuals with Visual Impairments

  Mei-Lian Vader, Marjory Pineda, Foad Hamidi, Ravi Kuber · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This paper from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County explores the experiences of 14 self-employed individuals with visual impairments in the United States, examining how technology shapes their work as small business owners and independent contractors. Participants…

  blindness · visual impairment · self-employment · entrepreneurship · workplace accessibility

• Beyond Sight: Empowering Visually Impaired Users with Audible Graphs

  Wajdi Aljedaani, Uday Kiran Chimpiri, Durgasantosh Gaddam, Vaseem Ahammed Shaik, Yaswitha Karasala, Marcelo M. Eler · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This technical note presents a tool designed to make data visualizations accessible to people with visual impairments by converting them into audible and textual representations. The tool addresses a significant gap: while data visualization is central to modern information…

  data visualization · visual impairments · sonification · screen readers · optical character recognition

• Direct or Immersive? Comparing Smartphone-based Museum Guide Systems for Blind Visitors

  Xiyue Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Giorgia Masoero, Chieko Asakawa · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the first direct comparison of two smartphone-based museum guide paradigms for blind visitors: a "direct" system using turn-by-turn navigation with VoiceOver-controlled audio descriptions, and an "immersive" system using spatialized sound navigation with…

  museum accessibility · blindness · indoor navigation · spatialized audio · screen readers

• Using Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Sign Language Recognition: Towards a system that provides instant feedback to learners of sign language

  Rami Aldahir, Ronald R. Grau · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This short paper presents a prototype system that uses computer vision and a convolutional neural network (CNN) to recognize finger-spelled letters in British Sign Language (BSL), providing real-time feedback to learners. The system addresses a gap in sign language instruction:…

  sign language · British Sign Language · computer vision · deep learning · fingerspelling

• Toward Effective Communication of AI-Based Decisions in Assistive Tools: Conveying Confidence and Doubt to People with Visual Impairments at Accelerated Speech

  Taslima Akter, Manohar Swaminathan, Apu Kapadia · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates how people with visual impairments (PVIs) perceive confidence and doubt in speakers' voices when audio is played at accelerated speeds — a critical question because AI-based assistive tools (scene descriptors, facial recognition, image captioners) can…

  visual impairments · artificial intelligence · speech processing · screen readers · assistive technology