HCI & Disabled Users

Inclusive design research focused on real user needs—reducing friction, improving accessibility, and supporting people with disabilities and neurodiverse users through evidence-based design.

Accessibility + Privacy

Intermediate Help with Digital Devices & Online Accounts

Many users can complete “most” tasks independently—until a small accessibility barrier (reading, typing, hearing, or navigation) turns a simple step into a dead end. This paper examines what happens in that in-between moment, when people seek help but still want control and privacy.

Method 40 semi-structured interviews + thematic analysis
Focus group Users with accessibility needs (e.g., auditory processing challenges, typing/motor difficulties)
Gap addressed Support systems often ignore privacy + autonomy during help-seeking

Key insights for product teams

  • Support isn’t binary: users move between independence and assistance—interfaces should support partial help, not “hand over the phone.”
  • Accessibility can trigger risky workarounds: when tasks become hard, users may share screens, credentials, or sensitive content to finish quickly.
  • Inclusive help content matters: structured, updatable tutorials, step-by-step guidance, and captions/subtitles reduce dependence on others.
  • Ergonomics impacts access: small on-screen keyboards and input precision issues can block completion for users with typing limitations.
View paper ↗
Neurodiversity + Intervention

Sensory Integration Therapy & Social Interaction Outcomes (ASD)

This paper evaluates an intervention aimed at improving social interaction and reducing stereotyped behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It combines behavioral outcome measures with a secondary analysis of neuroimaging data to explore ASD-related patterns.

Method Quasi-experimental pre/post with control group + parent-reported scales
Participants 26 children with ASD (ages 5–12), randomized into control vs. intervention
Intervention 12 sessions of Ayres’ sensory integration therapy (4 weeks, 45 min/session)
Evidence Pre/post changes in social interaction + stereotyped behavior; additional ABIDE II MRI dataset analysis

Highlighted findings

  • Behavior shifted post-intervention: the intervention group showed improvement patterns in stereotyped behavior and social interaction measures compared to control.
  • Design implication: neurodiverse users may benefit from experiences that reduce sensory overload, increase predictability, and scaffold social interaction.
  • Measurement approach: pairing behavioral outcomes with secondary neuro-data analysis helps connect observed experience with underlying variability.
View paper ↗
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