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• Shared Control for Game Accessibility: Understanding Current Human Cooperation Practices to Inform the Design of Partial Automation Solutions

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Matteo Manzoni, Filippo Corti, Sergio Mascetti · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates 'shared control' in video games — an accessibility practice in which a player with a disability (the 'pilot') delegates inaccessible game actions to another agent (the 'copilot') so the pair jointly drive a single character. Shared control is…

  game accessibility · shared control · partial automation · human-AI collaboration · motor disability

• I'm Always a Little Skeptical of It: Verification Practices of Blind Users When Working with Generative AI in Spreadsheets

  Minoli Perera, Swamy Ananthanarayan, Cagatay Goncu, Kim Marriott · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper reports a remote study with 12 blind screen reader users (11 totally blind, 1 legally blind) examining how they verify outputs produced by Generative AI tools when working on accuracy-critical spreadsheet tasks. Spreadsheets are pervasive in workplace and…

  blindness · screen readers · Generative AI · spreadsheets · AI accessibility

• Not Seeing the Whole Picture: Challenges and Opportunities in Using AI for Co-Making Physical, DIY-AT for People with Visual Impairments

  Ben Kosa, Hsuanling Lee, Jasmine Li, Sanbrita Mondal, Yuhang Zhao, Liang He · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper explores whether an LLM-based conversational agent can act as a co-making partner — not just a visual aid — when people with visual impairments (PVI) build their own physical assistive technology. The authors extended their prior A11yBits tangible toolkit…

  blindness · low vision · DIY assistive technology · tangible interaction · Generative AI

• As Content and Layout Co-Evolve: TangibleSite for Scaffolding Blind People's Webpage Design through Multimodal Interaction

  Jiasheng Li, Zining Zhang, Zeyu Yan, Matthew Wong, Arnav Mittal, Ge Gao, Huaishu Peng · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates how blind designers can author webpages end-to-end — generating content and arranging layout iteratively — rather than being limited to either content entry or layout inspection. The authors ran two rounds of co-design with three blind…

  accessible web design · blindness · tangible user interface · multimodal interaction · web authoring

• Toward Independent Online Shopping of the Visually Impaired Through Voice-based Computer-Using Agent

  Subin Shin, Jeesun Oh, Suhyun Kim, Seoyeon Eom, Sangwon Lee · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper investigates how visually impaired users might shop online independently by interacting with a voice-based Computer-Using Agent (CUA) — an AI agent built on a Large Multimodal Model (LMM) that can perceive a screen, reason about its contents, and manipulate a…

  visual impairment · blindness · low vision · voice interface · conversational user interfaces

• Demonstrating Eyes-Free Object Retrieval via Fingertip Deflection Guidance Using the NURing

  Tomasz P. Trzpit, Gregory Reardon, Elizabeth Gerber, Pedro Lopes, Michael Peshkin, J. Edward Colgate · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  This CHI 2026 Extended Abstract is an interactive-demo paper introducing a vision-enabled version of NURing, a tendon-driven wearable ring that guides reach by gently deflecting the wearer’s fingertip. The authors frame the work around a recurring report from blind and…

  haptic feedback · kinesthetic feedback · wearable technology · blindness · visual impairment

• Engaging Visually Impaired People in Science Museums Through an Immersive Workshop: Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities

  Xiyue Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how science museums can become more accessible to visually impaired visitors through the design and evaluation of an immersive, tactile workshop. Conducted at Miraikan (The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) in Tokyo, the research…

  museum accessibility · science education · blindness · low vision · tactile learning

• VizXpress: Towards Expressive Visual Content by Blind Creators Through AI Support

  Lotus Zhang, Zhuohao (Jerry) Zhang, Gina Clepper, Franklin Mingzhe Li, Patrick Carrington, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Leah Findlater · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how blind individuals engage with and desire to create expressive visual content — moving beyond the functional accessibility tasks (like privacy preservation or layout correction) that prior research has focused on. The authors conducted a two-stage…

  blindness · visual expression · creativity support · AI accessibility · image editing

• A Low-Fidelity Prototyping Method for Blind Users: A Case Study on Designing Two-Dimensional Tactile Displays

  Sara Alzalabny, Karin Müller, Kathrin Gerling, Thorsten Schwarz, Bastian Rapp, Rainer Stiefelhagen · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper addresses the fundamental problem that design workshops—a key method for involving end users in technology development—are largely inaccessible to blind people due to their reliance on visual methods like sketching, storyboarding, and visual prototyping. The…

  blindness · low vision · prototyping · co-design · tactile display

• Surfacing Variations to Calibrate Perceived Reliability of MLLM-generated Image Descriptions

  Meng Chen, Akhil Iyer, Amy Pavel · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper addresses a critical safety problem in AI-powered visual access technology: multimodal large language models (MLLMs) like GPT-4o, Gemini, and Claude produce fluent, confident image descriptions that can contain fabricated content, misinterpretations, and omissions…

  blindness · low vision · image descriptions · multimodal AI · large language models

• Designing Accessible Calendar Tools for Blind and Low-Vision Users

  Mahmut Erdemli · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This extended abstract investigates the accessibility challenges blind and low vision (BLV) users face with calendar applications and explores how voice-activated personal assistants (VAPAs) like Siri and Alexa can enhance calendar usability. The study employed a mixed-methods…

  blindness · low vision · calendar accessibility · voice assistants · co-design

• Enhancing Accessibility in Webtoons: Investigating Audio Effect Placement Strategies for Visually Impaired Users

  Heewon Lee, Juwon Cheong, Minsung Kim, Jia Kim, Hyunjung Kim · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This extended abstract investigates how the timing of audio effect (AE) placement—before, during (overlapping), or after narration—affects the user experience of audio-described webtoons for visually impaired users. Webtoons are Korean-originated vertical-scrolling comics…

  blindness · low vision · audio description · webtoons · digital comics

• Data Sonification for Screen-Reader Users: When and When Not to Use

  Ather Sharif, Neha Aitharaju, Srihari Krishnaswamy, Jacob Wobbrock · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Washington assesses when data sonification — non-speech audio representations of data visualizations — is and is not beneficial for screen-reader users. Despite sonification dating back to 1974 and growing adoption in commercial products (Apple…

  sonification · data visualization · screen readers · blindness · visual impairment

• The Qualities of Convivial Tools and Their Relevance to Music Software Accessibility

  Alex Lucas, James Cunningham, Jacob Harrison, Franziska Schroeder, Andrew McPherson · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This qualitative study explores how visually impaired and blind (VIB) people access digital audio workstations (DAWs) for creative sound work, drawing on Ivan Illich's concept of "convivial tools" to frame accessibility recommendations. The authors conducted 2-hour remote…

  visual impairment · blindness · digital audio workstations · music accessibility · communities of practice

• Speed-of-Light VR for Blind People: Conveying the Location of Arm-Reach Targets

  Diogo Lança, Manuel Piçarra, Inês Gonçalves, Uran Oh, André Rodrigues, João Guerreiro · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper explores how blind people can locate and interact with close-range virtual objects in Virtual Reality (VR), a space that relies almost entirely on visual cues. Researchers from the University of Lisbon and Ewha Womans University adapted the arcade game Speed-of-Light…

  virtual reality · visual impairments · blindness · nonvisual feedback · sonification

• Breaking the News Barrier: Towards Understanding News Consumption Practices among BVI Individuals in India

  Peya Mowar, Meghna Gupta, Mohit Jain · 2024 · ASSETS 2024: 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This study examines digital news consumption practices among blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals in India, a country home to approximately 4.95 million blind and 35 million visually impaired people. Through semi-structured interviews and contextual inquiry with 17…

  blindness · visual impairment · news consumption · screen readers · information access

• "I look at it as the king of knowledge": How Blind People Use and Understand Generative AI Tools

  Rudaiba Adnin, Maitraye Das · 2024 · ASSETS 2024: 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This study investigates how blind individuals use and make sense of mainstream generative AI tools, based on semi-structured interviews with 19 blind participants who regularly use tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, and Be My AI (the GenAI-powered…

  generative AI · blindness · visual impairment · ChatGPT · mental models

• "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

• "We are at the mercy of others' opinion": Supporting Blind People in Recreational Window Shopping with AI-infused Technology

  Rie Kamikubo, Hernisa Kacorri, Chieko Asakawa · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This paper investigates how AI-powered navigation technology can support blind people in recreational window shopping — an activity that sighted people take for granted but remains largely inaccessible to those without vision. Researchers from the University of Maryland and…

  blindness · navigation · guide robots · wayfinding · recreational accessibility

• Enhancing Walk-Light Detector Usage for the Visually Impaired: A Comparison of VR Exploration and Verbal Instructions

  Jonggi Hong, James Coughlan · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A '24)

  This paper from Stevens Institute of Technology and Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute compares two methods for teaching people with visual impairments (PVI) to use a walk-light detector smartphone app at traffic intersections: virtual reality (VR) exploration versus…

  blindness · virtual reality · navigation · camera aiming · pedestrian safety

• 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

• Touchpad Mapper: Exploring Non-Visual Touchpad Interactions for Screen-Reader Users

  Ather Sharif, Venkatesh Potluri, Jazz R. X. Ang, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Jennifer Mankoff · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This technical note introduces Touchpad Mapper, a system that repurposes the laptop touchpad — a widely available but underutilized input device for screen-reader users — as a spatial interface for exploring 2D digital content non-visually. The authors argue that while touchpads…

  screen readers · blindness · touchpad · interaction design · input devices

• An Investigation of the Experiences of Orientation and Mobility Trainers in India

  Rohit Asave, Ravi Kuber, Foad Hamidi · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This qualitative study examines the experiences of twelve orientation and mobility (O&M) trainers working across urban and rural settings in India, a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) where infrastructure, resources, and cultural attitudes toward disability differ markedly…

  orientation and mobility · visual impairment · Global South accessibility · training · blindness

• Designing While Blind: Nonvisual Tools and Inclusive Workflows for Tactile Graphic Creation

  Lauren Race, Chancey Fleet, Danielle Montour, Lindsay Yazzolino, Marco Salsiccia, Claire Ferrari, Sheri Wells-Jensen, Amy Hurst · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This experience report examines the challenges and opportunities of Blind-led tactile graphic design, documenting a project where a team of four Blind designers, one sighted designer, and one sighted researcher collaborated to create tactile graphics for AstroAccess, a nonprofit…

  tactile graphics · blindness · co-design · inclusive design · nonvisual design

• TouchPilot: Designing a Guidance System that Assists Blind People in Learning Complex 3D Structures

  Xiyue Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper introduces TouchPilot, a step-by-step guidance system designed to help blind people independently learn complex 3D structures through interactive 3D printed models (I3Ms). While existing I3Ms allow blind users to trigger audio labels by pointing at specific elements,…

  3D printed models · tactile learning · blindness · computer vision · guidance systems