Social Haptic Communication (SHC) is a tactile communication method enabling the transmission of messages through touch, commonly used by interpreters to communicate environmental and social information to Deafblind individuals. While prior work has explored the use of vibrotactile patterns to replicate SHC at a distance, current technologies only allow one-to-one interactions, limiting their use in group settings or one-to-many communication. In this paper, we introduce HaptiShare, a novel assistive communication device that facilitates one-to-many social haptic communication. HaptiShare uses a mobile interface connected to multiple wearable haptic vests, leveraging a tactile interpolation technique to generate smooth, two-dimensional vibrotactile signals with variable speed, intensity, and direction that resemble natural touch movements. Preliminary user testing highlights its potential in supporting interpreters working with a group of Deafblind people, enhancing educational inclusivity, and improving group communication in social and professional contexts. HaptiShare contributes to a growing body of haptic communication devices for accessibility, enabling simultaneous communication with multiple recipients and enhancing accessibility for Deafblind individuals in shared environments.

Accessibility barriers associated with Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) for users who are Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) are well established. However, there has been a lack of research that examines how musical hardware devices are used as assistive tools and their role in improving DAW workflows. Nineteen participants from the BVI community were interviewed to detail their workflows, highlighting methods, benefits, and challenges of integrating musical hardware devices within their DAW. Results found that sixteen participants are using at least one hardware device (e.g., Komplete Kontrol) in their workflows as an accessibility tool for DAW features (e.g., FX parameters). Participants’ choice of hardware devices was influenced by multiple factors, such as technical specification, accessibility features, usability, and cost. Finally, we highlight suggestions for future research and development areas with a particular emphasis on proposing ways of implementing vibrotactile feedback that will enhance DAWs’ accessibility.