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• The Intersecting Liminality of Technology Adoption and Disability during Life Transitions

  Eliane Figueira, Chaima Jemmali, Kristen Shinohara · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces the concept of "intersecting liminality" to explain how people with disabilities navigate technology adoption during major life transitions. The research combines two complementary studies: semi-structured interviews with 22 blind and low vision (BLV) older…

  life transitions · liminality · technology adoption · blind and low vision · older adults

• "I Don't Trust it, but I Use it": Navigating Trust, Privacy, and Identity in Disabled People's Use of Generative AI

  Jazette Johnson, Aaleyah Lewis, Jennifer Mankoff, Olivia Banner · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper reports a qualitative focus-group study of how disabled people navigate generative AI (GenAI) tools in everyday life, with particular attention to how trust, privacy, and intersecting identities (race, gender, language, sexuality, disability) shape their use.…

  generative AI · accessibility · trust · mistrust · privacy

• Creating Disability Story Videos with Generative AI: Motivation, Expression, and Sharing

  Shuo Niu, Dylan Clements, Hyungsin Kim · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Niu, Clements, and Kim worked with nine people with disabilities (PwDs) from a Massachusetts disability advocacy group (pseudonymized as 'Campaign') to study how novice users adopt generative AI for creating first-person disability storytelling videos. Participants had…

  generative AI · disability storytelling · video accessibility · disability advocacy · LLM

• Temp access: Reflecting on multimodal GAI as an accessibility technology for temporary disability

  Kate S. Glazko · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents an autoethnographic account of using multimodal generative AI (GAI) tools as accessibility technology during a period of temporary disability. The author, an accessibility researcher, experienced an illness that simultaneously impacted verbal communication,…

  generative AI · temporary disability · assistive technology · autoethnography · multimodal AI

• Exploring how People with Spinal Cord Injuries Seek Support on Social Media

  Tamanna Motahar, Sara Nurollahian, YeonJae Kim, Marina Kogan, Jason Wiese · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents a content analysis of 960 post-threads from two SCI-specific subreddit communities (r/spinalcordinjuries and r/SpinalCordInjuries) to understand what topics people with spinal cord injuries discuss online and what types of support they seek and receive. Using…

  spinal cord injury · social media · online support · peer support · Reddit

• Complex Dynamics: Disability, Assistive Technology, and the LGBTQIA+ Community Center Experience in the United States

  Kirk Andrew Crawford, Katta Spiel, Foad Hamidi · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper explores the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals with disabilities in community centers in the United States, focusing on the role of assistive technology (AT) in these spaces. The researchers conducted 11 semi-structured interviews (60-90 minutes each, conducted…

  assistive technology · intersectionality · LGBTQIA+ · disability identity · stigma

• "I just thought it was me": How Smartphones Fail Users with Mild-to-Moderate Dexterity Differences

  Molly Bowman, Jerry Robinson, Erin Buehler, Shaun Kane · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This paper examines the smartphone experiences of people with mild-to-moderate dexterity (MMD) challenges — a population largely overlooked by accessibility research that tends to focus on more severe motor disabilities requiring specialized assistive technology like switches.…

  motor disability · dexterity · mobile accessibility · smartphones · touch screen

• Assistive or Artistic Technologies? Exploring the Connections between Art, Disability and Wheelchair Use

  Giulia Barbareschi, Masa Inakage · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper explores the reciprocal influences between art, disability, and assistive technology use through semi-structured interviews with 17 artists who use wheelchairs for mobility. Participants spanned diverse artistic disciplines — dance (7), music and DJing (5), visual art…

  disability art · wheelchair accessibility · assistive technology · creativity · disability identity

• Nothing Micro About It: Examining Ableist Microaggressions on Social Media

  Sharon Heung, Mahika Phutane, Shiri Azenkot, Megh Marathe, Aditya Vashistha · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents the first study examining how disabled people experience ableist microaggressions specifically on social media. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 participants with various disabilities — including physical disabilities, visual…

  ableism · microaggressions · social media · disability identity · content moderation

• Should I Say "Disabled People" or "People with Disabilities"? Language Preferences of Disabled People Between Identity- and Person-First Language

  Ather Sharif, Aedan Liam McCall, Kianna Roces Bolante · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents the largest empirical study to date on the language preferences of disabled people regarding identity-first language (IFL, e.g., "disabled people") versus person-first language (PFL, e.g., "people with disabilities"). The researchers surveyed 519 disabled…

  disability language · identity-first language · person-first language · disability identity · survey research

• How Online Tests Contribute to the Support System for People With Cognitive and Mental Disabilities

  Qisheng Li, Josephine Lee, Christina Zhang, Katharina Reinecke · 2021 · ASSETS '21: The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  Approximately one in three people worldwide experience a cognitive or mental disability at some point in their lives, yet significant barriers — cost, lack of insurance, transportation, stigma, family resistance, and not knowing where to seek help — prevent many from obtaining…

  cognitive disability · mental health · online tests · self-diagnosis · disability identity

• Accept or Address? Researchers' Perspectives on Response Bias in Accessibility Research

  Joy Ming, Sharon Heung, Shiri Azenkot, Aditya Vashistha · 2021 · ASSETS '21: The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  Response bias — the tendency for participant responses to be skewed by factors beyond the actual research questions — is a concern in all human-subjects research, but it takes on unique dimensions in accessibility research. Ming et al. conducted semi-structured interviews with…

  research methodology · response bias · participant-researcher dynamics · disability identity · accessibility research

• Value beyond function: analyzing the perception of wheelchair innovations in Kenya

  Giulia Barbareschi, Sibylle Daymond, Jake Honeywill, Aneesha Singh, Dominic Noble, Nancy N. Mbugua, Ian Harris, Victoria Austin, Catherine Holloway · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This study evaluates a novel wheelchair service provision model called InnovATe, developed by Motivation UK, that uses Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing to manufacture bespoke wheelchairs in Kenya. Over five months at the Bethany Kids rehabilitation centre in Joytown,…

  wheelchairs · assistive technology · 3D printing · emotional design · service delivery

• Navigating Graduate School with a Disability

  Dhruv Jain, Venkatesh Potluri, Ather Sharif · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '20)

  This paper presents a three-person autoethnography by computer science Ph.D. students at the University of Washington, each with a different disability: Dhruv Jain (hard of hearing, congenital bilateral sensorineural hearing loss), Venkatesh Potluri (congenitally blind with…

  education accessibility · disability identity · autoethnography · accommodation · STEM accessibility

• Cyborg Pride: Self-Design in e-NABLE

  Peregrine Hawthorn, Daniel Ashbrook · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This experience report documents the journey of Peregrine Hawthorn, born without fingers on his left hand, from being a recipient of a 3D-printed e-NABLE prosthetic hand to becoming an active designer, fabricator, and advocate for self-efficacy within the e-NABLE community.…

  3D printing · DIY assistive technology · prosthetics · disability identity · self-determination

• Technology-Mediated Sight: A Case Study of Early Adopters of a Low Vision Assistive Technology

  Annuska Zolyomi, Anushree Shukla, Jaime Snyder · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This qualitative case study examines the psychosocial and adaptive experiences of early adopters of the eSight 2.0 — a head-mounted assistive device for people with low vision that captures live video and displays enhanced images on high-resolution OLED screens inside…

  low vision · assistive technology · head-mounted display · qualitative research · disability identity

• Nothing to Hide: Aesthetic Customization of Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants in an Online Community

  Halley P. Profita, Abigale Stangl, Laura Matuszewska, Sigrunn Sky, Shaun K. Kane · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper analyzes aesthetic customization practices within a Facebook community of over 4,800 members dedicated to decorating and personalizing hearing aids (HAs) and cochlear implants (CIs). Approximately 48 million people in the United States (20% of the population) have…

  hearing aid · cochlear implant · DIY assistive technology · social accessibility · disability identity

• Would You Be Mine: Appropriating Minecraft as an Assistive Technology for Youth with Autism

  Kathryn E. Ringland, Christine T. Wolf, LouAnne E. Boyd, Mark S. Baldwin, Gillian R. Hayes · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents findings from a 24-month digital ethnography of Autcraft, a semi-private Minecraft server created for children with autism and their allies, examining how this community has appropriated the game into a variety of assistive technologies. Autcraft has over…

  autism · gaming · game accessibility · DIY assistive technology · social accessibility

• Self-Conscious or Self-Confident? A Diary Study Conceptualizing the Social Accessibility of Assistive Technology

  Kristen Shinohara, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This landmark study introduces the concept of "social accessibility" as a complement to functional accessibility in assistive technology design. The authors argue that ATs have traditionally been defined purely in functional terms—the Technical Assistance to the States Act…

  assistive technology · social accessibility · AT abandonment · stigma · disability identity

• Investigating Meaning in Uses of Assistive Devices: Implications of Social and Professional Contexts

  Kristen Shinohara · 2010 · Proceedings of the 12th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2010)

  This short paper presents an interview study exploring how people with disabilities experience the social and professional implications of using assistive devices. Shinohara defines assistive technologies as proprietary hardware or software made for people with disabilities,…

  assistive technology · social acceptance · stigma · assistive device design · self-image

• Observing Sara: A Case Study of a Blind Person's Interactions with Technology

  Kristen Shinohara, Josh Tenenberg · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper from the University of Washington, Tacoma presents a rich, in-depth case study of Sara, a congenitally blind college student, observed and interviewed across multiple sessions as she interacts with a wide range of technologies in her home. The study uses Blythe, Monk…

  blindness · assistive technology · case study · technology biographies · workarounds

21 results.