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• Augmenting Imagery with Multimodal Vibrotactile Representations: Touch, Feel, and Hear

  Mazen Salous, Matthias Kramer, Wilko Heuten, Charles Hudin, Susanne Boll, Larbi Abdenebaoui · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper addresses a long-standing gap in image accessibility for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users: while alt text, sonification, tactile graphics, and refreshable Braille displays convey shape, layout, and identity, they rarely communicate how an object…

  image accessibility · blind and low vision · vibrotactile feedback · haptic rendering · material perception

• ElectroGrasp: Electrotactile Aids for Visually Impaired Individuals in Anticipatory Planning and Control of Grasp

  Hechuan Zhang, Rufei Song, Ruoyan Liu, Shengsheng Jiang, Xiaohui Tan, Tianren Luo, Yulin Jin, Hongnan Lin, Teng Han, Feng Tian · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Sighted people pre-shape their hand before touching an object - a visually-driven anticipatory grasp plan that visually impaired (VI) users cannot form, leading to the characteristic 'double grip' (initial contact followed by compensatory regrasp) that is slower, less confident,…

  blind and low vision · electrotactile feedback · haptic technology · assistive technology · wearable technology

• HapticLens: Interactive Vibrotactile Haptic Generation from Spatially Localized Video Motion

  Kevin John, Hasti Seifi · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  HapticLens is an interactive method for generating single-actuator vibrotactile signals from arbitrary video content by letting a designer select a spatial region of interest and converting motion within that region into a vibration waveform in real time. The authors motivate…

  haptics · vibrotactile feedback · video-to-haptics · computer vision · multimodal interaction

• Touching a Cat Without Touch: Does Mid-Air Ultrasound Haptic Feedback Promote Relaxation in Virtual Cat Interaction?

  Juro Hosoi, Yuki Ban, Shin'ichi Warisawa · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Hosoi and colleagues investigate whether mid-air ultrasound haptics — tactile sensations produced by focused acoustic radiation pressure, with no device worn on the user's skin — can convey the feel of a virtual cat convincingly enough to support relaxation in VR. The paper…

  mid-air haptics · ultrasound haptics · virtual reality · haptic feedback · human-animal interaction

• SoundSpace: What and Where Through Sound

  Amber Maimon, Iddo Yehoshua Wald, Rahaf Sobh, Carol Sliman, Yarah Nassar, Joel Lanir · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  SoundSpace is a real-time sensory substitution system designed to give blind and visually impaired users simultaneous awareness of what objects are present in a scene and where they are located, without relying exclusively on verbal scene descriptions. The authors argue that…

  blind and low vision · sensory substitution · spatial audio · sonification · assistive technology

• Sonic Agency: A Group Autoethnography of Technology-mediated Performance Practice by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Musicians

  Doga Cavdir, Dillon Simone, Myles de Bastion, Shawn Trail, Nate Hergert · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents a 15-month group autoethnography conducted by a mixed-hearing team of five researchers and musicians affiliated with CymaSpace, a Deaf-owned music and culture institution in Portland, Oregon. The study examines how d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing musicians…

  deaf and hard of hearing · musical accessibility · autoethnography · haptic feedback · assistive music technology

• How Can Haptic Feedback Assist People with Blind and Low Vision (BLV): A Systematic Literature Review

  Chutian Jiang, Emily Kuang, Mingming Fan · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive systematic literature review examines 20 years (2004–2024) of research on haptic assistive tools for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV), analyzing 132 papers from 11 major HCI venues including CHI, ASSETS, UIST, and IEEE Haptics. The review…

  haptic feedback · blind and low vision · assistive technology · systematic review · tactile graphics

• SoundHapticVR: Head-Based Spatial Haptic Feedback for Accessible Sounds in Virtual Reality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Users

  Pratheep Kumar Chelladurai, Ziming Li, Maximilian Weber, Tae Oh, Roshan L Peiris · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents SoundHapticVR, a head-based haptic feedback system that converts spatial audio cues in virtual reality into vibrotactile feedback for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) users. VR environments rely heavily on spatial audio to convey critical information — alerting…

  deaf and hard of hearing · haptics · virtual reality · sound localization · sensory substitution

• Translating Color: Sonification as a Method of Sensory Substitution within the Museum

  Silvia Dini, Luca Andrea Ludovico, Sergio Mascetti, Maria Joaquina Valero Gisbert · 2023 · Proceedings of the 20th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract proposes using sonification — the technique of translating data into sound — to make the chromatic elements of contemporary artworks accessible to people with visual impairments or blindness (VIB). The research addresses a fundamental challenge in museum…

  sonification · museum accessibility · visual impairment · sensory substitution · art accessibility

• Mathematical Content Browsing for Print-disabled Readers Based on Virtual-world Exploration and Audio-visual Sensory Substitution

  Rynhardt Kruger, Febe De Wet, Thomas Niesler · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research addresses a critical accessibility gap: mathematical equations in PDF documents are largely inaccessible to blind and visually impaired readers. While standards like MathML exist for encoding accessible mathematics, most scientific and technical papers are…

  mathematical accessibility · sensory substitution · PDF accessibility · blind users · sonification

• Designing Gestures for Digital Musical Instruments: Gesture Elicitation Study with Deaf and Hard of Hearing People

  Ryo Iijima, Akihisa Shitara, Yoichi Ochiai · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This study addresses a gap in how deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) people can enjoy playing musical instruments using smartphones. While DHH people can and do enjoy music — often sensing it through vibrations transmitted by instruments or through body movements while performing —…

  deaf and hard of hearing · music accessibility · gesture elicitation · digital musical instruments · haptic feedback

• Keep Your Distance: A Playful Haptic Navigation Wearable for Individuals with Deafblindness

  James Gay, Moritz Umfahrer, Arthur Theil, Lea Buchweitz, Eva Lindell, Li Guo, Nils-Krister Persson, Oliver Korn · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This demonstration paper presents a haptic wearable vest designed to support independent navigation for people with deafblindness — a dual sensory impairment where the combination of sight and hearing loss makes it difficult for one sense to compensate for the other. Most…

  deafblindness · haptic technology · vibrotactile feedback · navigation · wearable technology

• Exploring Haptic Colour Identification Aids

  Richard Nguyen, Connor Geddes · 2019 · Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This poster paper presents two novel haptic devices — ColourWrist and ColourVest — designed to help people with Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD) identify colors through tactile feedback. Approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females have some form of CVD, which creates barriers in…

  colour vision deficiency · haptic feedback · sensory substitution · wearable technology · vibrotactile

• Sensory Glasses for the Visually Impaired

  Michael Barney, Jonathan Kilner, Gilmar Brito, Aida Araújo, Meuse Nogueira · 2017 · Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents the design and development of a low-cost wearable assistive device — sensory glasses — intended to help visually impaired people navigate their surroundings. The device addresses a well-known limitation of the traditional white cane: it cannot…

  assistive technology · blindness · wearable technology · sonification · navigation

• Participatory Design Using Sensory Substitution Devices with Tactile and Audio Feedback

  Ella Tuson, Samantha Hughson, Christina Zymaris, Ryan King · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This student research paper describes a participatory design study with a single blind participant (TC, blind from birth) to develop a sensory substitution device that provides a physical experience of spatial awareness through tactile or auditory feedback. The study was…

  sensory substitution · blindness · haptic feedback · participatory design · tactile accessibility

• Multimodal Perception of Histological Images for Persons Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

  Ting Zhang, Bradley S. Duerstock, Juan P. Wachs · 2017 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This research addresses a critical barrier preventing blind or visually impaired (BVI) students and scientists from participating in STEM laboratory work: the inability to perceive real-time visual scientific data from instruments like light microscopes. While tactile graphics…

  blindness · STEM accessibility · sensory substitution · haptic feedback · multimodal interface

• Using Dynamic Audio Feedback to Support Peripersonal Reaching in Young Visually Impaired People

  Graham Wilson, Stephen A. Brewster · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper investigates whether dynamic audio feedback — sound that changes based on the proximity between a reaching hand and target objects — can improve the accuracy of peripersonal reaching (reaching within arm's length) for blind and visually impaired young people.…

  blindness · visual impairment · sonification · spatial cognition · child development

• Ad-Hoc Access to Musical Sound for Deaf Individuals

  Benjamin Petry, Thavishi Illandara, Juan Pablo Forero, Suranga Nanayakkara · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This poster paper presents MuSS-Bits (Music Sensory Substitution Bits), a wearable sensor-display system that enables deaf individuals to explore musical sound from various audio sources with real-time vibrotactile feedback. While existing sensory substitution systems for music…

  deaf and hard of hearing · music accessibility · sensory substitution · haptic technology · wearable technology

• Refreshable Braille Oral Appliance

  M. A. Naomi Jobrack · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents preliminary research toward developing a Refreshable Braille Oral Appliance (RBOA) — a refreshable Braille display embedded in an oral retainer that would allow users to read Braille with their tongue. The envisioned device connects to a wireless lapel…

  braille · haptics · refreshable display · deaf accessibility · assistive technology

• Sensory Substitution Training for Users Who Are Blind with Dynamic Stimuli, Games and Virtual Environments

  Shachar Maidenbaum · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper explores whether gamification and dynamic training can address one of the major barriers to sensory substitution device (SSD) adoption: the long, arduous learning process. SSDs like EyeMusic convert visual information into sound, enabling people who are blind to…

  sensory substitution · blindness · congenital blindness · visual rehabilitation · gamification

• VisAural: A Wearable Sound-Localisation Device for People with Impaired Hearing

  Benjamin M. Gorman · 2014 · ASSETS '14: Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents VisAural, a wearable device that converts sound direction information into visual cues for people with hearing impairments. The system addresses a gap left by conventional hearing aids, which help with general sound detection but do not preserve spatial…

  hearing impairments · wearable technology · sound localisation · sensory substitution · assistive technology

• Enhancing Caption Accessibility through Simultaneous Multimodal Information: Visual-Tactile Captions

  Raja S. Kushalnagar, Gary W. Behm, Joseph S. Stanislow, Vasu Gupta · 2014 · Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper addresses a fundamental limitation of captions (subtitles) for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) viewers: captions force viewers to split attention between reading text at the bottom of the screen and watching the visual action, inevitably causing them to miss…

  captioning · deaf and hard of hearing · haptic feedback · multimodal interaction · non-speech information

• The Blind Driver Challenge: Steering Using Haptic Cues

  Burkay Sucu, Eelke Folmer · 2014 · Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents a haptic steering interface that enables blind individuals to steer a vehicle on a track using vibrotactile cues, addressing the National Federation of the Blind's 2004 "Blind Driver Challenge." While self-driving vehicles could transform mobility for blind…

  blindness · haptic feedback · mobility · autonomous vehicles · driving

• Expression: A Google Glass Based Assistive Solution for Social Signal Processing

  ASM Iftekhar Anam, Shahinur Alam, Mohammed Yeasin · 2014 · Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This demo paper presents Expression, a Google Glass-based assistive system that enables blind and visually impaired users to perceive non-verbal social signals during face-to-face conversations. Limited access to non-verbal cues — facial expressions, gestures, body language — is…

  blindness · wearable technology · facial expression recognition · social interaction · Google Glass

• Evaluation of Non-Visual Panning Operations Using Touch-Screen Devices

  HariPrasath Palani, Nicholas A. Giudice · 2014 · Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS 2014)

  This demonstration paper addresses a critical challenge in non-visual access to graphical information on touchscreens: how to pan across large-format graphics (maps, floor plans) without losing spatial orientation. The authors built on their Vibro-Audio Interface (VAI), which…

  visual impairment · tactile graphics · haptic feedback · touchscreen accessibility · non-visual maps