- Exploring the Design Space of Optical See-through AR Head-Mounted Displays to Support First Responders in the Field (CHI 2024)
We interviewed 26 first responders in the field who experienced a state-of-the-art optical-see-through AR HMD, soliciting their first-hand experiences, design ideas, and concerns on its interaction techniques and four types of AR cues (Zhang et al. 2024).
- A Diary Study in Social Virtual Reality: Impact of Avatars with Disability Signifiers on the Social Experiences of People with Disabilities (ASSETS 2023)
We conducted a diary study with 10 People with Disabilities who freely explored VRChat for two weeks, comparing their experiences between using regular avatars and avatars with disability signifiers (i.e., avatar features that indicate the user’s disability in real life) (Zhang et al. 2023).
- A Preliminary Interview: Understanding XR Developers’ Needs towards Open-Source Accessibility Support (IEEE VRW 2023)
We investigated XR developers' practices, challenges, and needs when integrating accessibility in their projects (Ji et al. 2023).
- “It’s Just Part of Me:” Understanding Avatar Diversity and Self-presentation of People with Disabilities in Social Virtual Reality (ASSETS 2022)
We explored people with disabilities’ avatar perception and disability disclosure preferences in social VR by (1) conducting a systematic review of fifteen popular social VR applications to evaluate their avatar diversity and accessibility support and (2) interviewing 19 participants with different disabilities to understand their avatar experiences (Zhang et al. 2022).
- VRBubble: Enhancing Peripheral Awareness of Avatars for People with Visual Impairments in Social Virtual Reality (ASSETS 2022)
We designed VRBubble, an audio-based VR technique that provides surrounding avatar information based on social distances. Based on Hall’s proxemic theory, VRBubble divides the social space with three Bubbles—Intimate, Conversation, and Social Bubble—generating spatial audio feedback to distinguish avatars in different bubbles and provide suitable avatar information (Ji, Cochran, and Zhao 2022).
Extended Reality technologies including Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and Virtual Reality are becoming increasingly adopted, and accessible solutions must be developed to maintain pace.