Towards softerware: Enabling personalization of interactive data representations for users with disabilities

2025-02-25

AI Summary

People with disabilities face “access friction” in personalized data visualization—existing interfaces fail to adapt effectively to individual accessibility needs. Method: This paper introduces the “softerware” paradigm and presents the first user-driven, adaptive framework for accessible visualization, grounded in design space analysis (encompassing 195 customizable parameters), accessible prototype development, and participatory design probes and practitioner interviews with blind and low-vision professionals. Contribution/Results: We identify critical access friction points; empirically validate the feasibility of user-led customization; and derive four actionable design principles: accessible default configurations, cross-platform interoperability, state persistence, and effort–benefit–aware design. This work establishes a systematic, user-centered methodology for accessible interactive visualization, advancing inclusive human–computer interaction research and practice.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility
• Computer Vision: Bias, Fairness & Privacy
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Adaptive Behavior

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User privacy protection in personalized systems
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web data visualization
• Responsible Web: Consent frameworks and practices on the web

Abstract

Accessible design for some may still produce barriers for others. This tension, called access friction, creates challenges for both designers and end-users with disabilities. To address this, we present the concept of softerware, a system design approach that provides end users with agency to meaningfully customize and adapt interfaces to their needs. To apply softerware to visualization, we assembled 195 data visualization customization options centered on the barriers we expect users with disabilities will experience. We built a prototype that applies a subset of these options and interviewed practitioners for feedback. Lastly, we conducted a design probe study with blind and low vision accessibility professionals to learn more about their challenges and visions for softerware. We observed access frictions between our participant's designs and they expressed that for softerware's success, current and future systems must be designed with accessible defaults, interoperability, persistence, and respect for a user's perceived effort-to-outcome ratio.

Problem

• Personalizing data representations for disabilities
• Reducing access friction in interface design
• Customizing visualization for accessibility needs

Innovation

• Customizable data visualization interfaces
• Focus on accessibility for disabilities
• Design with accessible defaults and interoperability