accessibility

Digital health services face significant accessibility barriers for users with auditory, visual, cognitive, and motor impairments. Method: This study proposes a cross-modal accessibility design paradigm integrating WCAG/ADA compliance frameworks with AI-powered voice interaction, haptic feedback, and adaptive UIs—applied across digital pharmacies, telemedicine platforms, and wearable health devices. It innovatively combines multimodal AI (speech recognition, natural language understanding), a dynamic accessibility adaptation engine, and web-based automated accessibility auditing tools to enable real-time, personalized interface adaptation. Contribution/Results: Empirical evaluation demonstrates a 68% increase in task completion rates and a 52% reduction in error rates among users with disabilities. The work yields 12 reusable, scenario-specific accessibility implementation guidelines and has directly informed the adoption of three industry standards. Collectively, it establishes a policy–technology–service co-design framework to advance inclusive digital health ecosystems.

Digital accessibility remains a critical barrier to achieving inclusivity and equity. This study employs a mixed-methods approach—comprising a large-scale survey and qualitative analysis—targeting 160 professional accessibility practitioners, and systematically examines organizational commitment, implementation challenges, and current technical training practices against WCAG standards. Diverging from prior developer-centric research, this work uniquely foregrounds the perspectives of accessibility professionals to uncover structural bottlenecks: only 4.1% of mainstream websites achieve full WCAG compliance, with negligible improvement over five years—revealing dual constraints of weak organizational commitment and insufficient professional capacity. The study identifies three core barriers: attitudinal inertia, resource misallocation, and misalignment between training and practice. Findings provide empirically grounded insights and actionable recommendations for policymakers and organizations seeking to strengthen accessibility governance and workforce capability.

This study addresses the critical lack of web accessibility in mobile networks across the Global South. Method: We conducted the first large-scale accessibility assessment of 100,000 mobile websites across ten countries, employing an automated toolchain (Axe and WAVE) augmented by expert manual validation and targeted analysis of ARIA attributes and alt text to evaluate conformance with WCAG 2.1. Contribution/Results: Only 40% of sites met essential accessibility criteria; missing alt text and inadequate ARIA descriptions were the primary causes of screen reader failure. Regulatory stringency correlated significantly with higher compliance rates, and persons with visual impairments were disproportionately affected. The study uncovers regionally heterogeneous mechanisms underlying accessibility failures and proposes a lightweight, bandwidth-efficient, mobile-first accessibility framework—grounded in empirical evidence—to advance digital inclusion in the Global South.

This study addresses the low adoption and high user frustration associated with assistive technologies for instrumental Activities of Daily Living (iADLs)—particularly cooking—among people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI), stemming from a misalignment between existing tools and users’ compensatory strategies. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted 16 in-depth interviews and contextual behavioral observations in participants’ homes, followed by qualitative coding and user needs modeling to systematically identify information requirements and technology-use barriers. Our findings reveal, for the first time in domestic settings, that haptic perception is a pervasive and dominant sensory strategy—challenging the prevailing outdoor navigation–focused research paradigm. Based on this, we propose a novel “haptocentric” design principle and identify three core barriers to technology adoption: insufficient reliability, high learning overhead, and poor environmental adaptability. These results provide empirically grounded design guidelines and a theoretical foundation for improving assistive technology acceptance and enhancing BVI individuals’ autonomy and quality of life in home environments.

This study addresses the systemic marginalization of users with disabilities in AI product organizations, exposing misalignments between responsible AI practices and accessibility engineering—including divergent objectives, fragmented cross-functional collaboration, and a critical lack of empirical disability-related data. Through 28 semi-structured interviews with engineers, researchers, UX designers, and AI ethics practitioners—analyzed via thematic analysis—we identify three core barriers: (1) conflicting priority-setting mechanisms, (2) scarcity of disability-inclusive training and evaluation data, and (3) process discontinuities across disciplines. We propose an “embedded inclusion mechanism” that integrates internal volunteer networks with external disability communities to co-design requirements, restructure development workflows, and jointly steward accessibility resources. Empirical evaluation demonstrates that this mechanism significantly enhances the visibility and responsiveness to disability-related needs throughout the AI development lifecycle. Our work offers a scalable, organization-level intervention to bridge the persistent gap between AI ethics and accessibility practice.

This study addresses pervasive accessibility and usability deficiencies in both governmental and non-governmental websites in Bangladesh, which hinder equitable access to essential public services for persons with disabilities and diverse users. For the first time in the country, it systematically evaluates these websites through an integrated approach combining automated conformance checks against WCAG 2.2 standards and large-scale user testing across 212 sites and 103 participants, focusing on navigation, interaction, readability, and authentication mechanisms. Findings reveal that while non-governmental websites generally exhibit better usability, neither sector provides consistent accessibility support. The research underscores a significant digital inclusion gap and proposes actionable strategies—including regular accessibility audits, user-centered design practices, and targeted policy interventions—to advance digital equity in Bangladesh, offering both empirical evidence and practical guidance for stakeholders.

This work addresses the limitations of traditional static accessibility standards in handling dynamic challenges posed by user-generated content—such as blurry images, missing descriptions, and disorganized layouts—which often hinder accessibility for people with visual impairments, low vision, or age-related needs. To bridge this gap, the authors propose a “generative user interface” approach that dynamically restructures interfaces at runtime to accommodate diverse user requirements. The method employs three key interventions: real-time HTML regeneration, conversational guidance, and audio-assisted photography. By shifting the designer’s role from layout implementation to strategy formulation, this approach effectively mitigates coverage gaps in existing accessibility standards. Evaluated on a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce platform, the framework significantly enhances accessibility for heterogeneous user groups and expands the application frontier of generative UI within human-computer interaction.

This study addresses the limitations of existing accessibility symbols—such as low public recognition, contextual rigidity, and susceptibility to misinterpretation—in facilitating voluntary identity disclosure by disabled individuals. Through 23 remote participatory design workshops and semi-structured interviews, complemented by user-generated sketches and future-scenario storyboards, the research investigates how disabled users perceive, engage with, and navigate barriers related to symbol-based disclosure. The work proposes reconceptualizing accessibility symbols as a dynamic disclosure system that integrates symbolic representation, technological carriers (e.g., wearable devices and mobile interfaces), and situational context. Emphasizing customizability and context sensitivity, this approach empowers users with granular control over visibility and interpretive pathways, thereby enhancing autonomy, inclusivity, and agency while minimizing misinterpretation. The proposed framework advances accessibility symbols toward an on-demand, explainable, and technologically integrated paradigm.

This study investigates the potential of agent-based web browsers (AWBs) powered by large language models to enhance web accessibility and interactive experiences for people with visual impairments. Through a case study involving a low-vision technology expert, the research pioneers the application of AWBs as assistive technology for this population, demonstrating their capacity to support natural language interaction and autonomous navigation. Findings indicate that, despite existing technical limitations, the user achieved a notably fluid and flexible browsing experience, substantially reducing barriers to web access. The results underscore the innovative value and promising applicability of agent-driven browsers in advancing accessible interaction and intelligent user experiences for individuals with visual disabilities.

This study addresses the prevalent tendency of organizations to treat accessibility as a compliance burden rather than an opportunity for innovation, resulting in digital products that lack genuine inclusivity. By analyzing 14 large language model–driven accessibility project proposals and conducting focus group discussions with nine participants, the research proposes and validates a disability-led participatory development model. Findings demonstrate that this approach effectively shifts accessibility from passive compliance toward proactive innovation, embedding inclusive design not merely as an add-on but as an integral component of core product development processes. Consequently, accessibility becomes a catalyst for both technological excellence and transformative organizational culture change.