Dasom Choi

YouTube is a space where people with disabilities can reach a wider online audience to present what it is like to have disabilities. Thus, it is imperative to understand how content creators with disabilities strategically interact with algorithms to draw viewers around the world. However, considering that the algorithm carries the risk of making less inclusive decisions for users with disabilities, whether the current algorithmic experiences (AXs) on video platforms is inclusive for creators with disabilities is an open question. To address that, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight YouTubers with disabilities. We found that they aimed to inform the public of diverse representations of disabilities, which led them to work with algorithms by strategically portraying disability identities. However, they were disappointed that the way the algorithms work did not sufficiently support their goals. Based on findings, we suggest implications for designing inclusive AXs that could embrace creators’ subtle needs.

The number of people with vision impairments using Conversational Agents (CAs) has increased because of the potential of this technology to support them. As many visually impaired people are accustomed to understanding fast speech, most screen readers or voice assistant systems offer speech rate settings. However, current CAs are designed to interact at a human-like speech rate without considering their accessibility. In this study, we tried to understand how people with vision impairments use CA at a fast speech rate. We conducted a 20-day in-home study that examined the CA use of 10 visually impaired people at default and fast speech rates. We investigated the difference in visually impaired people’s CA use with different speech rates and their perception toward CA at each rate. Based on these findings, we suggest considerations for the future design of CA speech rate for those with visual impairments

Our research team developed an interaction model and exploring design considerations for proactive conversational agents. To examine major elements of proactive agents interaction, we conducted design workshops and content analysis.

Webtoon is a type of digital comics read online where readers can leave comments to share their thoughts on the story. While it has experienced a surge in popularity internationally, people with visual impairments cannot enjoy webtoon with the lack of an accessible format. While traditional image description practices can be adopted, resulting descriptions cannot preserve webtoons' unique values such as control over the reading pace and social engagement through comments. To improve the webtoon reading experience for BLV users, we propose Cocomix, an interactive webtoon reader that leverages comments into the design of novel webtoon interactions. Since comments can identify story highlights and provide additional context, we designed a system that provides 1) comments-based adaptive descriptions with selective access to details and 2) panel-anchored comments for easy access to relevant descriptive comments. Our evaluation (N=12) showed that Cocomix users could adapt the description for various needs and better utilize comments.