Virtual Reality (VR) systems use immersive spatial audio to convey critical information, but these audio cues are often inaccessible to Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) individuals. To address this, we developed SoundHapticVR, a head-based haptic system that converts audio signals into haptic feedback using multi-channel acoustic haptic actuators. We evaluated SoundHapticVR through three studies: determining the maximum tactile frequency threshold on different head regions for DHH users, identifying the ideal number and arrangement of transducers for sound localization, and assessing participants’ ability to differentiate sound sources with haptic patterns. Findings indicate that tactile perception thresholds vary across head regions, necessitating consistent frequency equalization. Adding a front transducer significantly improved sound localization, and participants could correlate distinct haptic patterns with specific objects. Overall, this system has the potential to make VR applications more accessible to DHH users.

Two-factor Authentication (also known as 2FA or two-step verification) is an authentication method that provides an extra layer of protection to ensure online account security. 2FA methods are used along with other primary authentication methods like PINs and Passwords to verify that the person trying to access any digital account is the person they are claiming to be. However, 2FA methods can be inaccessible for blind and low vision (BLV) users due to the requirement of multiple steps, apps, and/or devices for authentication. In addition, it can be a security risk as screen readers may read out the verification codes to bystanders. To address this, we present Haptic2FA, a haptic-based authentication method to improve 2FA accessibility for BLV users. Here, as a part of the 2FA process, the users are sent a 'haptic pattern' (similar to a one-time passcode in traditional 2FA methods) that they are required to enter or select for verification. Through a usability study with 10 BLV participants, we evaluated haptic patterns and input methods for the haptic patterns in the Haptic2FA method. Through the findings, we discuss the accessibility and usability of the Haptic2FA method.

Captions make the audio content of videos accessible and understandable for deaf or hard-of-hearing people (DHH). However, in real-time captioning scenarios, captions alone can be challenging for DHH users to identify the active speaker in a real time in multiple-speaker scenarios. To enhance the accessibility of real-time captioning, we propose Haptic-Captioning which provides real-time vibration feedback on the wrist by directly translating the sound of content into vibrations. We conducted three experiments to examine: (1) the haptic perception (Preliminary Study), (2) the feasibility of the haptic modality along with real-time and non-real-time visual captioning methods (Study 1), and (3) the user experience of using the Haptic-Captioning system in different media contexts (Study 2). Our results highlight that the Haptic-Captioning complements visual captions by improving caption readability, maintaining media engagement, enhancing understanding of emotions, and assisting speaker indication in real-time captioning scenarios. Furthermore, we discuss design implications for the future development of Haptic-Captioning.

A connected network of automated vehicles on roads can increase the driving safety of driverless vehicles (i.e., autonomous vehicles). The critical level of dangerous situations on the road while driving can be increased by the speed, orientation, and traffic density of the vehicles involved. Therefore, there is a need for a maneuvering mechanism that handles both the current driving vehicle and the oncoming vehicles headed toward an emergency zone (e.g., road hazard and road accident spot). In this paper, we present a context-aware navigation protocol (CNP) that enhances the safety of vehicles driving in urban roads. Firstly, CNP includes a collision avoidance module that builds on both vehicular networks and on-board sensors to track vehicles’ behaviors, and this module analyzes the driving risks to determine the necessary maneuvers in dangerous situations. Secondly, CNP establishes a collision mitigation strategy that limits the severity of collision damages in hazardous road during non-maneuverable scenarios. We conducted a theoretical analysis as well as extensive simulations to prove and evaluate the effectiveness of CNP. The results show that CNP can reduce communication overhead from a baseline scheme by up to 60% while the risk of road collisions is less than 5%.

The white cane is used as one of the options for mobility by people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) but it comes with limitations like the lack of overhead detection and recognition of safety hazards. Smart canes were designed to address some of the white cane’s issues but the adoption of this technology has been minimal. We spoke with 16 BVI participants for an in-depth view on their smart cane experiences and needs. While the biggest concern was related to cost, we found that other factors like product consistency, durability, and the lack of awareness, trust, and confidence from the users all contribute to the low adoption rate of smart canes.

Few students with disabilities transition from undergraduate to graduate programs. Graduate students often receive ineffective and insufficient accommodations, including lack of support specific to graduate students, because disability services policies are shaped by undergraduate experiences. To understand how disability services offices accommodate graduate students: we (1) critically analyzed disability services websites of 18 U.S. institutions, and (2) interviewed 17 disability services staff. Disability services websites publicly present institutional accommodation policies and guidelines, and staff are responsible for identifying, providing, and implementing reasonable accommodations. We found that policies may be interpreted differently depending on specific student circumstances. We discuss our findings in two main themes: (a) Policies and attitudes ascribed to disability, technology, and faculty, and (b) Impacts of policies and perspectives on accommodation decisions for graduate students. The contributions of this work include an empirical investigation of institutional support for disabled graduate students and suggestions for how to improve support from disability services offices to empower students.

Reliable and accessible authentication techniques are required to maintain privacy and security. This is paramount as technology plays an increasing role in our lives. In this paper, we examine the previous work on accessible authentication techniques for blind/low vision people, deaf/hard-of-hearing people, people with cognitive impairments, and people with motor impairments. We seek to identify gaps in the current research to advocate where future efforts are needed to create authentication techniques that will work for everyone. We found a lot of variability in prior work investigating the accessibility of authentication techniques, including shortfalls and gaps in the literature. We make recommendations on the directions future research should take.

Smart canes that use a haptic notification approach for informing cane users of upcoming obstacles can use vibrators placed on the handle. Prior studies have focused on the technical and functional performance of obstacle detection systems for smart canes. However, limited studies have been conducted to understand the hand and wrist strains on cane users when using a smart cane with a haptic notification approach. Understanding these strains can result in different handle and haptic notification designs that can minimize the stress and possibly injury to the cane users. Therefore, a research team conducted an initial exploratory study in which the participants observed any challenges they faced when using a smart cane prototype called an Intelligent Mobility Cane (IMC). The findings indicate that when they try to swing the cane handle and hold the vibrators on the handle at the same time, they can experience hand and wrist strain. Also, the vibrations can provide a heightened anxiety in some participants. To minimize their hand and wrist strains, some participants modified their cane holding method. We provided a set of design recommendations for future smart cane handles and haptic approaches based on the participants’ feedback to help reduce the strains for cane users.

Numerous studies have been conducted to improve the features of the "smart" canes. However, there is insufficient research performed to develop the guidelines to create a usable smart cane. In this paper, a Dynamic Sensor Orientation Unit (DSOU) is introduced to maintain a detection distance irrespective of the angle of the cane. The paper also aims to outline guidelines for placement of the Obstacle Detection System (ODS) and the sensor angle to be used in our Intelligent Mobility Cane (IMC) prototypes. A usability test with 11 people who use a white cane for daily navigation was conducted to study the users' preference and behavior with a fixed sensor angle IMC. The analysis revealed the angle of the sensor is dependent on the participant's height and how users hold the canes. The results suggest requirements for sensor angle orientation and outline guidelines for ODS designs on future IMCs.

In this paper, we propose a spatio-temporal coordination-based media access control (STMAC) protocol for efficiently sharing driving safety information in urban vehicular networks. STMAC exploits a unique spatio-temporal feature characterized from a geometric relation among vehicles to form a line-of-collision graph, which shows the relationship among vehicles that may collide with each other. Based on this graph, we propose a contention-free channel access scheme to exchange safety messages simultaneously by employing directional antenna and transmission power control. Based on an urban road layout, we propose an optimized contention period schedule by considering the arrival rate of vehicles at an intersection in the communication range of a road-side unit to reduce vehicle registration time. Using theoretical analysis and extensive simulations, it is shown that STMAC outperforms legacy MAC protocols especially in a traffic congestion scenario. In the congestion case, STMAC can reduce the average superframe duration by 66.7%, packet end-to-end delay by 68.3%, and packet loss ratio by 88% in comparison with the existing MAC protocol for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, based on the IEEE 802.11p.