This paper investigates how disabled visual artists use GenAI tools to manage administrative and business tasks essential to sustaining creative careers. Whilst previous research has focused on GenAI's emerging role in artistic work, our study highlights its potential in supporting non-creative aspects of artistic practice, which are often overlooked yet critical for workload management of disabled artists. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 5 disabled visual artists, we explore the perceived benefits and barriers of using GenAI, particularly in terms of accessibility, cognitive demands, ethical concerns, and financial constraints. Our findings suggest that whilst GenAI can increase productivity, reduce cognitive load, and promote equity, it also presents challenges related to transparency, bias, interface complexity, and job displacement fears. We conclude by calling for more inclusive and affordable GenAI tools, improved accessible interfaces, ethical governance, and personalised support to enable disabled creatives in their professional practices.

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.

This research suggests new ways of making interaction with Digital Audio Workstations more accessible for musicians with visual impairments. Accessible tools such as screen readers are often unable to support users within the music production environment. Haptic technologies have been proposed as solutions but are often generic and do not address the individual’s needs. A series of experiments is being suggested to examine the possibilities of mapping haptic feedback to audio effects parameters. Sequentially, machine learning is being proposed to enable automated mapping and expand access to the individual. The expected results will provide visually impaired musicians with a new way of producing music but also will provide academic research on material and technologies that can be used for future accessibility tools.