MagnePins: A Modular, Affordable, and DIY Refreshable Braille and Tactile DisplayRefreshable tactile, braille and shape changing displays have been studied in HCI for many years and have recently become commercially available. These devices offer blind and low vision users the ability to read text directly from a computer application and also the exciting possibility for increased access to dynamic tactile graphics. Commercial devices and research prototypes, however, share similar challenges and tradeoffs including cost, scalability, and miniaturisation. Research prototypes typically have either a low pin count---some only a single cell or line of braille---or a pin pitch and pin dimension far larger than the braille specification. Commercial devices that achieve both high pin count and the 2.5mm pin pitch requirement suffer from high cost, due to the inherent complexity of thousands of individual, precision, electro-mechanical or piezo actuated pins. We present `MagnePins', an innovative, robust, and open source design that achieves a large pin array (24x89 in our prototype) with braille-compliant pin size and spacing of 2.5mm. It utilises a simple electromagnetic actuation mechanism driven by reliable driver circuitry and can be fabricated economically using cheap mass-produced elements in a well-equipped makerspace. Our tests of the device indicate high accuracy (of up to 99.97\%), and in testing with an expert touch reader, it provided high tactile resolution, and easy readability.2025JSJim Smiley et al.Visual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)UIST
Enhancing Tactile Learning: A Co-Designed System for Supporting Speech Interaction with Multi-Part 3D Printed Models by Students who are Blind3D printed models (3DPMs) are increasingly used to support the education of students who are blind or have low vision (BLV). As 3DPMs are more widely-adopted, educators are using more complex multi-part models. However, with this increased complexity comes additional challenges for their use, such as supporting audio labels of multiple parts as well as guiding the assembly and disassembly of the model. This work explores the co-design and evaluation of a system that supports the use of multi-part 3DPMs by BLV students. Working with BLV adults and children, as well as educators, an iPad application was developed to support interaction with an insect model, including speech interaction and support for assembly. Evaluation showed that the system was strongly enjoyed by students and educators were enthusiastic as they believed it would increase classroom engagement and inclusion, and its support for voice annotation could be used for assessment.2025RNRuth G Nagassa et al.Monash University, Department of Human-Centred ComputingHead-Up Display (HUD) & Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)Haptic WearablesVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)CHI
3D Printing for Accessible Education: A Case Study in Assistive Technology Adoption3D printing is a mainstream technology enabling the affordable production of 3D models that may enhance access and understanding of graphics for students who are blind or have low vision (BLV). However, the potential usefulness of a new technology does not guarantee its adoption. This paper presents a case study in the adoption of 3D printing as an accessible format for BLV education in Australia and New Zealand. Over the last six years, a community-driven research project engaged in awareness raising, created a community of practice and developed guidelines for the use of 3D printing in education. We evaluate the success of the project using an Implementation Science lens with the RE-AIM framework and identify the key factors for successful adoption. We hope this work will guide the adoption of 3D printing for BLV students and serve as an exemplar for the adoption of other assistive technologies.2025LHLeona M Holloway et al.Monash University, Department of Human-Centred ComputingVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Special Education TechnologyDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCHI
"It Brought the Model to Life": Exploring the Embodiment of Multimodal I3Ms for People who are Blind or have Low Vision3D-printed models are increasingly used to provide people who are blind or have low vision (BLV) with access to maps, educational materials, and museum exhibits. Recent research has explored interactive 3D-printed models (I3Ms) that integrate touch gestures, conversational dialogue, and haptic vibratory feedback to create more engaging interfaces. Prior research with sighted people has found that imbuing machines with human-like behaviours, i.e., embodying them, can make them appear more lifelike, increasing social perception and presence. Such embodiment can increase engagement and trust. This work presents the first exploration into the design of embodied I3Ms and their impact on BLV engagement and trust. In a controlled study with 12 BLV participants, we found that I3Ms using specific embodiment design factors, such as haptic vibratory and embodied personified voices, led to an increased sense of liveliness and embodiment, as well as engagement, but had mixed impact on trust.2025SRSamuel Reinders et al.Monash University, Department of Human-Centred ComputingVibrotactile Feedback & Skin StimulationHaptic WearablesDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCHI
Sensing Movement: Contemporary Dance Workshops with People who are Blind or have Low Vision and Dance TeachersDance teachers rely primarily on verbal instructions and visual demonstrations to convey key dance concepts and movement. These techniques, however, have limitations in supporting students who are blind or have low vision (BLV). This work explores the role technology can play in supporting instruction for BLV students, as well as improvisation with their instructor. Through a series of design workshops with dance instructors and BLV students, ideas were generated by physically engaging with probes featuring diverse modalities including tactile objects, a body tracked sound and musical probe, and a body tracked controller with vibrational feedback. Implications for the design of supporting technologies were discovered for four contemporary dance learning goals: learning a phrase; improvising; collaborating through movement; and awareness of body and movement qualities. We discuss the potential of numerous multi-sensory methods and artefacts, and present design considerations for technologies to support meaningful dance instruction and participation.2025MSMadhuka Thisuri De Silva et al.Monash University, Department of Human-Centred ComputingVibrotactile Feedback & Skin StimulationHaptic WearablesFull-Body Interaction & Embodied InputCHI
Designing Conversational Multimodal 3D Printed Models with People who are Blind3D printed models have been used to improve access to graphical information by people who are blind, offering benefits over conventional accessible graphics. Here we investigate an interactive 3D printed model (I3M) that combines a conversational interface with haptic vibration and touch to provide more natural and accessible experiences. Specifically, we co-designed a multimodal model of the Solar System with nine blind people and evaluated the prototype with another seven blind participants. We discuss our journey from a design perspective, focusing on touch, conversational and multimodal interactions. Based on our experience, we suggest design recommendations that consider blind users' desire for independence and control, customisation, comfort and use of prior experience.2023SRSamuel Reinders et al.Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)Haptic WearablesVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)DIS
TactIcons: Designing 3D Printed Map Icons for People who are Blind or have Low VisionVisual icons provide immediate recognition of features on print maps but do not translate well for touch reading by people who are blind or have low vision due to the low fidelity of tactile perception. We explored 3D printed icons as an equivalent to visual icons for tactile maps addressing these problems. We designed over 200 tactile icons (TactIcons) for street and park maps. These were touch tested by blind and sighted people, resulting in a corpus of 33 icons that can be recognised instantly and a further 34 icons that are easily learned. Importantly, this work has informed the creation of detailed guidelines for the design of TactIcons and a practical methodology for touch testing new TactIcons. It is hoped that this work will contribute to the creation of more inclusive, user-friendly tactile maps for people who are blind or have low vision.2023LHLeona M Holloway et al.Monash UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Geospatial & Map VisualizationDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCHI
3D Building Plans: Supporting Navigation by People who are Blind or have Low Vision in Multi-Storey BuildingsIndependent travel and navigation in new environments, in particular multi-storey buildings, is a major challenge for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV). Using tactile maps as part of orientation and mobility (O&M) training, BLV people can build a cognitive map of an environment before visiting. Tactile maps of multi-level environments, however, have received little attention. We investigated the usefulness of 3D printed models of buildings, through a user study with nine BLV adults. Three designs were evaluated: flat, overlapped-sliding and overlapped-rotating. All three designs were reported to be useful, usable, engaging and allowed participants to build a cognitive map of the building. There was a strong user preference for the overlapped presentations, which were reported to be more effective in supporting cross-floor spatial knowledge. This exploration of the design space of 3D building plans demonstrates their value and we hope will encourage their provision in O&M training.2023RNRuth G Nagassa et al.Monash UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Data PhysicalizationCHI
Infosonics: Accessible Infographics for People who are Blind using Sonification and VoiceData visualisations are increasingly used online to engage readers and enable independent analysis of the data underlying news stories. However, access to such infographics is problematic for readers who are blind or have low vision (BLV). Equitable access to information is a basic human right and essential for independence and inclusion. We introduce infosonics, the audio equivalent of infographics, as a new style of interactive sonification that uses a spoken introduction and annotation, non-speech audio and sound design elements to present data in an understandable and engaging way. A controlled user evaluation with 18 BLV adults found a COVID-19 infosonic enabled a clearer mental image than a traditional sonification. Further, infosonics prove complementary to text descriptions and facilitate independent understanding of the data. Based on our findings, we provide preliminary suggestions for infosonics design, which we hope will enable BLV people to gain equitable access to online news and information.2022LHLeona Holloway et al.Monash UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Interactive Data VisualizationCHI
3D Printed Street Crossings: Supporting Orientation and Mobility Training with People who are Blind or have Low VisionThe ability to cross the street at intersections is an essential skill, often taught to people who are blind or have low vision (BLV) with the aid of tactile maps and kits or toys. However, each of the existing mapping tools has shortcomings. We investigated whether co-designed 3D printed components can offer benefits. Guided by consultation with 11 Orientation and Mobility (O&M) professionals, we co-designed a series of 3D printed kits that they then used in their practice with BLV children who showed high levels of engagement and learning. The 3D materials were found to demonstrate the key concepts for street crossings in a portable, engaging and professional manner. They will be released for free download, enabling O\&M professionals to access or modify the materials as required. We hope that use of our co-designed 3D printed tools will contribute to the safety, independence and inclusion of BLV people.2022LHLeona Holloway et al.Monash UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Special Education TechnologyDesktop 3D Printing & Personal FabricationCHI
Technology Developments in Touch-Based Accessible Graphics: A Systematic Review of Research 2010-2020This paper presents a systematic literature review of 292 publications from 97 unique venues on touch-based graphics for people who are blind or have low vision, from 2010 to mid-2020. It is the first review of its kind on touch-based accessible graphics. It is timely because it allows us to assess the impact of new technologies such as commodity 3D printing and low-cost electronics on the production and presentation of accessible graphics. As expected our review shows an increase in publications from 2014 that we can attribute to these developments. It also reveals the need to: broaden application areas, especially to the workplace; broaden end-user participation throughout the full design process; and conduct more in situ evaluation. This work is linked to an online living resource to be shared with the wider community.2021MBMatthew Butler et al.Monash UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Data PhysicalizationCHI
"Hey Model!" Natural User Interactions and Agency in Accessible Interactive 3D ModelsWhile developments in 3D printing have opened up opportunities for improved access to graphical information for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV), they can provide only limited detailed and contextual information. Interactive 3D printed models (I3Ms) that provide audio labels and/or a conversational agent interface potentially overcome this limitation. We conducted a Wizard-of-Oz exploratory study to uncover the multi-modal interaction techniques that BLV people would like to use when exploring I3Ms, and investigated their attitudes towards different levels of model agency. These findings informed the creation of an I3M prototype of the solar system. A second user study with this model revealed a hierarchy of interaction, with BLV users preferring tactile exploration, followed by touch gestures to trigger audio labels, and then natural language to fill in knowledge gaps and confirm understanding.2020SRSamuel Reinders et al.Monash UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Support (Captions, Sign Language, Vibration)CHI
Tactile Presentation of Network Data: Text, Matrix or Diagram?Visualisations are commonly used to understand social, biological and other kinds of networks. Currently we do not know how to effectively present network data to people who are blind or have low-vision (BLV). We ran a controlled study with 8 BLV participants comparing four tactile representations: organic node-link diagram, grid node-link diagram, adjacency matrix and braille list. We found that the node-link representations were preferred and more effective for path following and cluster identification while the matrix and list were better for adjacency tasks. This is broadly in line with findings for the corresponding visual representations.2020YYYalong Yang et al.Monash University & Harvard UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Data StorytellingCHI
Making Sense of Art: Access for Gallery Visitors with Vision ImpairmentsWhile there is widespread recognition of the need to provide people with vision impairments (PVI) equitable access to cultural institutions such as art galleries, this is not easy. We present the results of a collaboration with a regional art gallery who wished to open their collection to PVIs in the local community. We describe a novel model that provides three different ways of accessing the gallery, depending upon visual acuity and mobility: virtual tours, self-guided tours and guided tours. As far as possible the model supports autonomous exploration by PVIs. It was informed by a value sensitive design exploration of the values and value conflicts of the primary stakeholders.2019LHLeona Holloway et al.Monash UniversityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Universal & Inclusive DesignMuseum & Cultural Heritage DigitizationCHI
Accessible Maps for the Blind: Comparing 3D Printed Models with Tactile GraphicsTactile maps are widely used in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training for people with blindness and severe vision impairment. Commodity 3D printers now offer an alternative way to present accessible graphics, however it is unclear if 3D models offer advantages over tactile equivalents for 2D graphics such as maps. In a controlled study with 16 touch readers, we found that 3D models were preferred, enabled the use of more easily understood icons, facilitated better short term recall and allowed relative height of map elements to be more easily understood. Analysis of hand movements revealed the use of novel strategies for systematic scanning of the 3D model and gaining an overview of the map. Finally, we explored how 3D printed maps can be augmented with interactive audio labels, replacing less practical braille labels. Our findings suggest that 3D printed maps do indeed offer advantages for O&M training.2018LHLeona Holloway et al.Monash UnivesityVisual Impairment Technologies (Screen Readers, Tactile Graphics, Braille)Data PhysicalizationCHI