Despite legislative progress and societal change, people with disabilities still face significant
barriers to full participation in many areas of life. There are still significant differences in
access to physical environments, institutional processes and digital infrastructures.
Advances in artificial intelligence, adaptive interfaces and mobile technologies are enabling
innovative approaches that empower users and respond to diverse individual needs.
However, the digital transformation also introduces new challenges, including inadequate
accessibility standards, interoperability issues with existing assistive technologies, and
disparities in digital literacy that may compound existing inequalities.
This special session invites contributions from researchers, developers, practitioners and
users working at the intersection of disability studies, human-computer interaction and
assistive technology. We welcome empirical research, user-centred innovations, practical
applications, and evaluation studies that address the following key areas:
- Innovative digital technologies supporting persons with disabilities across educational
contexts, with emphasis on real-world deployment and user experiences - User-centered innovation approaches utilizing co-design, participatory development, and
lived experience expertise to enhance inclusion and participation - Practical accessibility solutions including accessibility evaluation methods, user testing
approaches, and universal design innovations for educational technologies and learning
environments - Innovative applications of robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and
gamification informed by user requirements and preferences - Implementation experiences documenting barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned in
deploying innovative technologies in real-world settings
This session aims to bring together researchers, developers, practitioners, and users to share
innovative solutions, empirical findings, and practical experiences in developing and
implementing technologies that promote inclusion and participation of persons with
disabilities across all life domains. We particularly encourage presentations that
demonstrate user involvement in innovation processes, provide evidence of real-world
impact, highlight novel approaches that address unmet user needs and offer insights for
translating research innovations into accessible, usable and beneficial solutions for end
users.
Chairs
Susanne Dirks, TU Dortmund
Bastian Pelka, Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund
Jens Gerken, TU Dortmund University