Grace is a third-year computer engineering and applied math student at the University of Washington. They are interested in applications of CS towards accessibility, fabrication, and artistic practices. In their free time, they enjoy reading about art history, going to the gym, and painting.
Currently, in the Make4All lab, they are excited to be working on the multi-axis 3D printing project!
Xiaoyi Wang is a third-year undergraduate studying Computer Science and Mathematics. She is passionate about Robotics, 3D printing, full-stack development, and mathematical modeling.
Sanjana Satagopan is a first-year student in computer science at the University of Washington. She has experience programming for various startups, including game development, AI, and full-stack dev. She is excited to learn more about sensors, robotics, and more, and is excited to be finding ways to use technology for accessibility research.
On the side she’s interested in environmentalism and loves tennis and music!
Visit Sanjana’s website here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjanasatagopan/
Yuxuan Mei, Benjamin T. Jones, Dan Cascaval, Jennifer Mankoff, Etienne Vouga, Adriana Schulz: FabHacks: Transform Everyday Objects into Home Hacks Leveraging a Solver-aided DSL. SCF 2024: 4
Storing, organizing, and decorating are key parts of making a home nice. Buying new things for these tasks can be expensive, and reuse is better for the planet. One way to do this is with a “home hack.” This is when you use things you already have at home to solve a problem. But creating these hacks can be hard, especially if they are big, need to be nailed or screwed to the wall.
We have a system called FabHacks to help make these home hacks easier to create. It uses a new, hack-specific language we made called FabHaL to help you build these hacks. We looked at home hacks people share online and found ways to connect household items using specific methods. We also have a simple app to help you design such hacks. FabHacks, is based on a solver-aided domain-specific language (S-DSL). It leverages a physics-based solver that finds the expected physical configuration of a hack. We tested FabHacks by having people use our system, and they could easily make and try different designs.
Venkatesh Potluri, Sudheesh Singanamalla, Nussara Tieanklin, Jennifer Mankoff: Notably Inaccessible – Data Driven Understanding of Data Science Notebook (In)Accessibility. ASSETS 2023: 13:1-13:19
Computational notebooks are tools that help people explore, analyze data, and create stories about that data. They are the most popular choice for data scientists. People use software like Jupyter, Datalore, and Google Colab to work with these notebooks in universities and companies.
There is a lot of research on how data scientists use these notebooks and how to help them work together better. But there is not much information about the problems faced by blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. BVI users have difficulty using these notebooks because:
We analyzed 100,000 Jupyter notebooks to find accessibility problems. We looked for issues that affect how these notebooks are created and read. From our study, we give advice on how to make notebooks more accessible. We suggest ways for people to write better notebooks and changes to make the notebook software work better for everyone.
Ather Sharif, Venkatesh Potluri, Jazz Rui Xia Ang, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Jennifer Mankoff: Touchpad Mapper: Examining Information Consumption From 2D Digital Content Using Touchpads by Screen-Reader Users: ASSETS ’24 (best poster!) and W4A ’24 (open access)
Touchpads are common, but they are not very useful for people who use screen readers. We created and tested a tool called Touchpad Mapper to let Blind and visually impaired people make better use of touchpads. Touchpad Mapper lets screen-reader users use touchpads to interact with digital content like images and videos.
Touchpad mapping could be used in many apps. We built two examples:
We tested Touchpad Mapper with three people who use screen readers. They said they got information more quickly with our tool than with a regular keyboard.
Kelly Avery Mack, Kate S. Glazko, Jamil Islam, Megan Hofmann, Jennifer Mankoff: “It’s like Goldilocks: ” Bespoke Slides for Fluctuating Audience Access Needs. ASSETS 2024: 71:1-71:15
Slide deck accessibility is usually thought to mainly impact people who are blind or visually impaired. However, many other people might need modifications to access a slide deck.
We talked with 17 people who have disabilities and use slide decks and learned their needs did not always overlap. For some people, their own needs even changed at times. For example, some needed lower contrast colors at night.
Next, we explored how a tool could help change a presentation to fit their needs. We tested this tool with 14 of the people we talked to earlier. Then, we interviewed four people who make and present slide decks to get their thoughts on this tool.
Finally, we tried to make a working version of this tool. It has some of the features that the people we talked to wanted, but we learned that when apps are not designed for access, and not open source, they make full access hard to add.
Stacy Hsueh is a postdoctoral researcher at UW’s Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE), working with Jen Mankoff and Anat Caspi.
Her work uses critical theories to interrogate computing norms and employs design methods to explore disability-led design. Her current research focuses on understanding experiences of precarity in underserved communities and examining the role of technology plays in challenging or reinforcing structural inequities.
Miles is a third-year computer science undergraduate at the University of Washington. He is interested in new applications of generative AI, HCI, and programming languages. In his free time, he enjoys running and brunch with friends. Miles is currently working on the Accessible Flowcharts Project.
Runxin Shi is a third-year undergraduate studying Computer Science at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He is passionate about using modern technologies, such as wearable devices, to enhance accessibility and unlock new possibilities for people with disabilities. With experience in backend development, qualitative research, user research, and interaction design, Runxin takes a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving. Beyond academics, he has a deep appreciation for art and enjoys visiting museums and creating interactive art installations in his free time.
