Reviews

Search results

• Improving Low-Vision Chart Accessibility via On-Cursor Visual Context

  Yotam Sechayk, Hennes Rave, Max Rädler, Mark Colley, Zhongyi Zhou, Ariel Shamir, Takeo Igarashi · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Charts remain largely inaccessible to Low-Vision Individuals (LVI) because reading them requires holding both fine-grained data details and the broader visual context — axes, legend, grid lines, overview — in view at the same time, a task that magnification and restricted fields…

  low vision · data visualization · chart accessibility · assistive technology · screen magnification

• 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

• 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

• Investigating the Role of Agentic AI in Facilitating Travel Planning for People with Low Vision

  Ranran Ding, Maryam Bandukda · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’26)

  This CHI 2026 Extended Abstract examines a stage of accessible travel that most assistive-technology research has overlooked: the pre-trip planning work people with low vision (PLV) do before ever leaving the house. The authors argue that most existing tools — navigation apps,…

  low vision · wayfinding · agentic AI · large language models · conversational agents

• Characterizing Visual Intents for People with Low Vision through Eye Tracking

  Ru Wang, Ruijia Chen, Anqiao Erica Cai, Zhiyuan Li, Sanbrita Mondal, Yuhang Zhao · 2025 · Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2025)

  This study investigates how people with low vision use their gaze when viewing images, with the goal of understanding their visual intents — the immediate, in-the-moment goals behind their eye movements. While assistive technologies like magnifiers and contrast enhancement exist…

  low vision · eye tracking · visual intent · gaze behavior · assistive technology

• VeasyGuide: Personalized Visual Guidance for Low-vision Learners on Instructor Actions in Presentation Videos

  Mohamad Elayyan Sechayk, Himanshu Singh, Jan Smeddinck, Chakkrit Tantithamthavorn · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper introduces VeasyGuide, a tool designed to make presentation videos more accessible for low-vision (LV) learners by automatically detecting and highlighting instructor actions such as pointing, marking, and sketching. The authors identify a significant gap in current…

  low vision · video accessibility · e-learning · motion detection · visual guidance

• Access Beyond the Score: Understanding Notation Needs and Workflows of Low Vision Musicians

  William Christopher Payne, Yu Lee An · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how musicians with low vision acquire, adapt, and use music notation, an area that has received far less research attention than Braille Music for blind musicians. Through semi-structured interviews with 16 low vision musicians and 2 sighted Teachers of…

  low vision · music accessibility · notation · Modified Stave Notation · Braille Music

• 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

• 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

• Exploring Shared Augmented Reality for Low-Vision Training of Activities of Daily Living

  Yong-Joon Thoo, Karim Aebischer, Nicolas Ruffieux, Denis Lalanne · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates the feasibility of using co-located shared augmented reality (S-AR) to support low-vision therapist (LVT)-guided training for people with low vision. While virtual reality has shown promise for practicing orientation and mobility skills, it isolates users…

  low vision · augmented reality · vision rehabilitation · activities of daily living · shared AR

• 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

• Understanding Low Vision Graphical Perception of Bar Charts

  Yash Prakash, Akshay Kolgar Nayak, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how low-vision users who rely on screen magnifiers perceive and interact with bar charts, addressing a significant gap in data visualization accessibility research. While studies on chart perception have extensively examined sighted users and some have…

  low vision · data visualization · bar charts · screen magnifier · graphical perception

• 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

• "It's like Goldilocks:" Bespoke Slides for Fluctuating Audience Access Needs

  Kelly Avery Mack, Kate S Glazko, Jamil Islam, Megan Hofmann, Jennifer Mankoff · 2024 · Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This paper challenges the assumption that a single "accessible" slide deck can serve all audience members by demonstrating that access needs related to presentations are bespoke (varying greatly between individuals) and fluctuating (changing for one person throughout the day…

  slide accessibility · presentation accessibility · customizable interfaces · fluctuating access needs · neurodivergence

• IMAGE: An Open-Source, Extensible Framework for Deploying Accessible Audio and Haptic Renderings of Web Graphics

  Juliette Regimbal, Jeffrey R. Blum, Cyan Kuo, Jeremy R. Cooperstock · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces IMAGE (Internet Multimodal Access to Graphical Exploration), an open-source software framework designed to help accessibility practitioners create and deploy audio and haptic representations of web graphics. The authors address a critical problem in…

  web graphics · sonification · haptic feedback · multimodal interaction · open source

• Screen Magnification for Readers with Low Vision: A Study on Usability and Performance

  Meini Tang, Roberto Manduchi, Susana Chung, Raquel Prado · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023)

  This study investigates how people with low vision use two common screen magnification modes — full screen and lens — when reading documents and exploring web pages on a laptop computer. The researchers recruited 20 participants with a range of low vision conditions (including…

  screen magnification · low vision · reading performance · usability · mouse interaction

• "Why are there so many steps?": Improving Access to Blind and Low Vision Music Learning through Personal Adaptations and Future Design Ideas

  Leon Lu, Karen Anne Cochrane, Jin Kang, Audrey Girouard · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates the challenges blind and low vision (BLV) people face when learning music and identifies personal adaptations and design opportunities for assistive technologies. The researchers conducted one-hour semi-structured interviews with 40 participants across…

  blind · low vision · music learning · music pedagogy · braille music

• Low-Cost Tactile Coloring Page Fabrication on a Cutting Machine: Assembly and user experiences of cardstock-layered tangible pictures

  Nicole Johnson, Tom Yeh, Ann Cunningham · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This short paper presents a design inquiry into using a consumer-grade Cricut cutting machine to create tactile pictures and coloring pages by layering cardstock, as a low-cost alternative to traditional tactile image production methods. The technique, developed over three…

  tactile graphics · blindness · low vision · early learning · DIY assistive technology

• Animations at Your Fingertips: Using a Refreshable Tactile Display to Convey Motion Graphics for People who are Blind or have Low Vision

  Leona Holloway, Swamy Ananthanarayan, Matthew Butler, Madhuka Thisuri De Silva, Kirsten Ellis, Cagatay Goncu, Kate Stephens, Kim Marriott · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates the potential of refreshable tactile displays (RTDs) to convey animated graphics to people who are blind or have low vision — a capability that has been virtually impossible with traditional static tactile media. While tactile graphics produced on swell…

  tactile graphics · refreshable tactile display · blind users · low vision · animation

• Learning Music Blind: Understanding the Application of Technology to Support BLV Music Learning

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

  This doctoral consortium paper outlines a three-study PhD research program investigating how wearable technologies with vibrotactile feedback can support blind and low vision (BLV) music learners. The research is motivated by the significant barriers BLV people face in learning…

  music accessibility · blindness · low vision · haptic technology · wearable technology

• A Scoping Review of Assistance and Therapy with Head-Mounted Displays for People Who Are Visually Impaired

  Yifan Li, Kangsoo Kim, Austin Erickson, Nahal Norouzi, Jonathan Jules, Gerd Bruder, Gregory F. Welch · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This scoping review systematically examines how Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) have been used for visual assistance and therapy for people with visual impairments. The authors searched six databases (IEEE, ACM, Springer, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, PubMed) and screened 1,251…

  low vision · visual impairment · head-mounted display · virtual reality · augmented reality

• Customizable Tabular Access to Web Data Records for Convenient Low-vision Screen Magnifier Interaction

  Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces TableView+, a browser extension designed to address the significant challenges low-vision screen magnifier users face when browsing websites containing web data records—structured listings such as product catalogs, job postings, flight search results, and…

  low vision · screen magnifier · web accessibility · data extraction · browser extension