Reviews

Search results

• Contextual Scaffolding and Self-Efficacy: Supporting Computer Skill Development among Blind Learners in India

  Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Yash Prakash, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper presents a four-month contextual inquiry at two Indian computer training centers serving 94 blind or visually impaired (BVI) students — one urban center in Bengaluru focused on job-oriented ICT training (KEONICS certification) and one rural residential blind school in…

  screen readers · blind and low vision · computer literacy · Global South accessibility · India

• Look Here, Click Me: Improving Older Adults’ Perception of Manipulable User Interface Components through AI-Based Perceptual Guidance

  Sera Park, Seoyeon Kim, Sangyeon Kim · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  This CHI 2026 Extended Abstracts paper from Sookmyung Women’s University (Seoul) tackles a concrete gap in older-adult digital literacy: existing programs teach step-by-step procedures ("tap here, then here, then here") that collapse the moment an app updates its layout. The…

  older adults · digital literacy · perceptual learning · accessibility · UI components

• Crippin' WhatsApp's Interaction Design: Learnings from the blind/visually impaired users of India

  Hrittika Bhowmick, Atharva Shrivastava, Sandeep Ysp, Shilpaa Anand, Dipanjan Chakraborty · 2025 · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2025)

  This paper examines how blind and visually impaired users in India navigate WhatsApp, using critical disability studies and Roland Barthes' concept of myth to argue that WhatsApp's design naturalizes visual interaction as universal while marginalizing auditory, haptic, and…

  screen readers · blind users · social media accessibility · Global South accessibility · critical disability studies

• Generative AI for Teachers with Vision Impairments in the Global South: A Bridge Too Far?

  Manohar Swaminathan, Tarini Naik · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This mixed-methods study examines the readiness and capacity of teachers with vision impairments (TVIs) in India to leverage generative AI technologies in their teaching practice. The research combines in-depth interviews with 15 TVIs from 10 schools in Karnataka and a…

  generative AI · vision impairment · education · Global South · India

• Exploring the Role of Social Support When Integrating Generative AI in Small Business Workflows

  Quentin Romero Lauro, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Yasmine Kotturi · 2024 · Companion Publication of the 2024 Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW Companion '24)

  This paper investigates how small business owners from resource-constrained communities leverage their offline social networks to integrate generative AI technologies into their business workflows. The researchers interviewed 11 participants — seven entrepreneurs and four…

  generative AI · entrepreneurship · social support · technology adoption · digital divide

• 'Your Duties Are To Sweep A Floor Remotely': Low Information Quality in Job Advertisements is a Barrier to Low-Income Job-Seekers' Successful Use of Digital Platforms

  Sara Kingsley, Michael Six Silberman, Clara Wang, Robert Lambeth, Jiayin Zhi, Motahhare Eslami, Beibei Li, Jeffrey Bigham · 2024 · Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Symposium on Human-Computer Interaction for Work (CHIWORK)

  This paper investigates barriers that low-income job-seekers face when using digital platforms to find work, based on 27 semi-structured interviews with US residents earning under $45,000 who had searched for paid work in the previous two years. The participants — 30% of whom…

  digital inclusion · digital divide · employment · disability employment · low-income users

• A More Accessible Web with Natural Language Interface

  Xiang Deng · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract proposes building a general natural language interface (NLI) for the Web that would allow users to express their needs in plain language and have the system automatically carry out the required actions on any website. The approach aims to reduce the…

  natural language processing · web accessibility · web automation · semantic parsing · large language models

• Investigating Older Adults' Adoption and Usage of Online Conferencing Tools During COVID-19

  Hirak Ray, Ravi Kuber, Adam J. Aviv · 2022 · Proceedings of the 19th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This qualitative study examines how 25 older adults (aged 60-89) in the United States adapted to online conferencing tools during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on usability challenges, privacy and security concerns, and the trade-offs made between the two. The…

  older adults · aging · technology adoption · privacy · usability

• Supporting Physical Activity in Later Life: Perspectives from Older Adults

  Muhe Yang · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This doctoral consortium paper presents a research plan to investigate how behaviour change technology can be better designed to support physical activity among older adults living alone, with a specific focus on walking. The author identifies a core problem: existing health…

  aging · older adults · physical activity · behaviour change technology · persuasive technology

• Providing and Accessing Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Mental Health Professionals, Community and Vocational Support Providers, and Adults with ASD

  Tiffany Thang, Alice Liang, Yechan Choi, Adrian Parrales, Sara H. Kuang, Sri Kurniawan, Heather Perez · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This experience report examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the provision and receipt of essential services for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at Hope Services, a community center for adults with developmental disabilities in California. The researchers…

  autism spectrum disorder · telehealth · COVID-19 · mental health · developmental disability

• Disability and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Using Twitter to Understand Accessibility during Rapid Societal Transition

  Cole Gleason, Stephanie Valencia, Lynn Kirabo, Jason Wu, Anhong Guo, Elizabeth Jeanne Carter, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Cynthia Bennett, Amy Pavel · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This Carnegie Mellon University study uses Twitter data to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected people with disabilities (PWD) across three critical domains where technology and accessibility intersect: grocery delivery services, remote education, and…

  COVID-19 · disability · social media · Twitter · emergency preparedness

• Sense and Accessibility: Understanding People with Physical Disabilities' Experiences with Sensing Systems

  Shaun K. Kane, Anhong Guo, Meredith Ringel Morris · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper examines how sensing systems — the increasingly pervasive technologies that mediate our interactions with the digital and physical world — create accessibility barriers for people with physical disabilities. Through an online survey of 40 adults with physical…

  physical disability · AI bias · AI fairness · sensors · ubiquitous computing

• CaseGuide: Making Cheap Smartphones Accessible to Individuals with Visual Impairments in Informal Settlements

  Roos van Greevenbroek · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This short paper presents CaseGuide, a low-cost concept for making cheap smartphones accessible to individuals with visual impairments living in informal settlements (IVIIS). The majority of visually impaired people live in low-income areas where less than 5-15% can access…

  visual accessibility · mobile accessibility · global accessibility · Global South accessibility · assistive technology

• Effects of Extended Use of an Age-friendly Computer System on Assessments of Computer Proficiency, Attitudes, and Usability by Older Non-Computer Users

  Joseph Sharit, Jerad H. Moxley, Walter R. Boot, Neil Charness, Wendy A. Rogers, Sara J. Czaja · 2019 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper examines the impact of 12 months of extended use of PRISM (Personal Reminder Information and Social Management), a computer system specifically designed for older adults at risk of social isolation, on computer proficiency, attitudes toward computers, and perceived…

  older adults · computer proficiency · social isolation · usability · age-friendly design

• Ageing is Not a Disease: Pitfalls for the Acceptance of Self-Management Health Systems Supporting Healthy Ageing

  Ine D’Haeseleer, Kathrin Gerling, Dominique Schreurs, Bart Vanrumste, Vero Vanden Abeele · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This paper reports on a qualitative study with 20 older adults (mean age 80, range 65-92) in Belgium, investigating their attitudes towards self-management health systems (SMHS) — integrated solutions that combine data from sensors and self-reports with risk assessment and…

  aging · older adults · health monitoring · self-management · digital inclusion

• Computer Anxiety and Interaction: A Systematic Review

  Thiago Donizetti dos Santos, Vagner Figueredo de Santana · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018)

  This paper presents a systematic review of 111 papers on Computer Anxiety (CA) in the context of Human-Computer Interaction, synthesising research spanning 1986-2017 across four databases (Springer, ACM, IEEExplore, PubMed). Computer Anxiety is defined as negative emotions and…

  computer anxiety · older adults · aging · digital inclusion · self-efficacy

• Wearables for All: Development of Guidelines to Stimulate Accessible Wearable Technology Design

  Jobke Wentzel, Eric Velleman, Thea van der Geest · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Twente and The Accessibility Foundation (Netherlands) presents the rationale and methodology for developing accessibility guidelines specifically for wearable technology — a domain where no dedicated accessibility standards existed at the time.…

  wearable technology · universal design · guidelines · visual impairment · multimodal interaction

• LMS Weds WhatsApp: Bridging Digital Divide Using MIMs

  Jyotirmaya Mahapatra, Saurabh Srivastava, Kuldeep Yadav, Kundan Shrivastava, Om Deshmukh · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from Xerox Research Centre India reports on a three-month longitudinal field study integrating WhatsApp with a Learning Management System (TutorSpace) in a private engineering college on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India. The research addresses the digital divide in…

  digital divide · mobile accessibility · education accessibility · Global South accessibility · blended learning

• Breaking Barriers to Digital Literacy: An Intergenerational Social-Cognitive Approach

  Keith Atkinson, Jaclyn Barnes, Judith Albee, Peter Anttila, Judith Haataja, Kanak Nanavati, Kelly Steelman, Charles Wallace · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This experience report presents narratives from learners and student tutors participating in the BASIC (Building Adult Skills in Computing) program at Michigan Technological University, which has paired university students with older community members (mostly 60+) for one-on-one…

  aging · digital literacy · digital divide · education · collaborative learning

• Exploring Traditional Phones as an E-Mail Interface for Older Adults

  Robin N. Brewer, Raymundo Cornejo Garcia, Tedra Schwaba, Darren Gergle, Anne Marie Piper · 2016 · ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents V-Mail, a voice-based email system that enables older adults to send and receive email using traditional landline telephones. The research addresses a critical digital divide: 41% of adults over 65 do not use the internet, and many acquire late-life…

  older adults · voice interfaces · digital divide · email accessibility · IVR

• Social Media Platforms for Low-Income Blind People in India

  Aditya Vashistha, Edward Cutrell, Nicola Dell, Richard Anderson · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This groundbreaking study provides the first analysis of social media use and non-use by low-income blind people in rural and peri-urban India—a population largely absent from accessibility research despite India having the world's largest blind population (63+ million). The…

  blindness · social media · low-income · India · Global South

• Remote IT Education for Senior Citizens

  Hironobu Takagi, Akihiro Kosugi, Tatsuya Ishihara, Kentarou Fukuda · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper addresses the challenge of teaching IT skills to senior citizens in Japan, where the elderly population ratio has reached 25% nationally and up to 40% in some regions. The authors identified that peer teaching — skilled seniors teaching unskilled seniors — is the most…

  aging · digital literacy · digital divide · education · remote learning

• The Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII)

  Gregg C. Vanderheiden, Jutta Treviranus, Amrish Chourasia · 2013 · Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper describes the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII), an ambitious international initiative to build a cloud-based infrastructure that can automatically personalize any device or technology to match an individual user's accessibility needs and preferences. The…

  GPII · cloud accessibility · auto-personalization · assistive technology · digital divide

• Usability, Demography, and Directions for W4A

  Alan F. Newell · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This provocative keynote paper from Alan Newell at the University of Dundee challenges the web accessibility community to broaden its focus beyond technical compliance for people with sensory and motor disabilities to address the much larger population of digitally excluded…

  aging · digital divide · usability · web accessibility · digital inclusion

• The Spoken Web Application Framework: User Generated Content and Service Creation through Low-End Mobiles

  Arun Kumar, Sheetal K. Agarwal, Priyanka Manwani · 2010 · Proceedings of the 2010 International Cross Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from IBM Research India presents the Spoken Web Application Framework (SWAF), a platform that expands the definition of "Web" itself to include voice-based hyperlinked content accessible through ordinary telephone calls. At the time of publication, only 22% of the…

  digital divide · voice interface · developing regions · digital inclusion · mobile accessibility