XR Access Research Network

Authors: Ricky Gonzalez, Jazmin Collins, Shiri Azenkot, Cindy Bennet Cornell Tech PhD Students Ricky Gonzalez and Jazmin Collins, co-founder of XR Access Shiri Azenkot, and Accessibility Researcher at Google Cindy Bennet are investigating the potential of AI to describe scenes to blind and low vision (BLV) people. The team developed an iOS application called Eyevisor that simulated the use of SeeingAI to collect data about why, when, and how BLV people use AI to describe visuals to them. The study's results points to a variety of unique use cases for which BLV users would prefer to [...]

Authors: Jazmin Collins*, Crescentia Jung*, Yeonju Jang (* indicates co-first authorship and equal contribution). Our first project explored using the sighted guide technique in VR to support accessibility for blind and low vision people. We created a prototype with a guidance system and conducted a study with 16 blind and low vision participants. Participants completed various tasks and explored the virtual environments with their guide. From this project, we uncovered participants’ preferences for a guide in VR and a broad design space for virtual guides.  We have begun a second project that explores using an AI-powered guide. We [...]

Authors: Ria J. Gualano*, Lucy Jiang*, Kexin Zhang*, Andrea Stevenson Won, and Shiri Azenkot (* indicates co-first authorship and equal contributions). Through this project, we aim to fill a gap in current accessibility research by focusing on the experiences of people with invisible disabilities (e.g., chronic health conditions, mental health conditions, neurodivergence, etc.) and preferences regarding disability disclosure practices in virtual embodied spaces. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 9 participants, some who identified as neurodiverse and others who identified as having chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Of the 9 participants, 4 were Caucasian, 2 were Mixed-Race, 1 was [...]

Authors: Lucy Jiang, Mahika Phutane, Shiri Azenkot. While traditional videos are typically made accessible with audio description (AD), we lack understanding on how to make 360° videos accessible while preserving their immersive nature. Through individual interviews and collaborative design workshops, we explore ways to improve 360° video accessibility beyond applying traditional AD methods. We conducted design workshops with BLV and sighted AD creators who collaboratively develop accessible 360° video prototypes.  We found that AD experts value accurate vocabulary and different points of view for immersive descriptions, prefer a variety of presentation locations for spatialized AD, appreciate sound effects [...]

VR games are becoming common, but people with visual impairments are frequently left out of the fun. Some prior work has explored including audio cues as an accompaniment to visual VR experiences, while developers of accessible games have created audio-only versions of popular games for people with visual impairments. However, there’s very little academic research on accessible VR games, pointing to an opportunity to explore how to convey information about moving objects, and how to teach players who may never have played a non-virtual version of a game how to interact with virtual objects. Dr. Kyle Rector and her [...]

Navigating stairs can be a dangerous mobility challenge for people with low vision. Inadequate handrails, poorly marked steps, and other obstacles can reduce mobility and lead to accidents. While past research has proposed audio stair-navigation aids for blind people, no research on people with low vision has yet addressed this challenge. Cornell Tech PhD student Yuhang Zhao, along with Cx faculty member Shiri Azenkot and other researchers from Cornell Tech and Columbia University, built on this research to design several AR navigation systems for people with low vision. They tested both projection-based and optical see-through smart glasses systems [...]

Cornell Tech PhD student Lei Shi, faculty member Shiri Azenkot, and their collaborators are studying how to design educational 3D models for students with visual impairments. The researchers interviewed teachers of the visually impaired about the needs of their students, and demonstrated previously designed 3D-printed interactive models and computer vision-based educational tools. Based on interview results, they designed an augmented reality (AR) app that pairs with a 3D printed model. The model’s tactile features help students learn the physical features of a concept, while visual and audio cues from the AR app provide additional information. The study’s results [...]