Accessibility in Ability-Diverse Collaboration

In this project, we investigated how blind and low vision people interact with collaborative writing tools (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs) to produce shared documents with their sighted collaborators, the challenges they encounter in developing collaboration awareness (i.e., understanding who commented or edited what and where in the document), and how they establish shared norms and workarounds to adapt to the complexities of collaborative features. Our work also uncovered how accessibility in collaborative work is shaped by interpersonal relations, power dynamics, and organizational ableism. Building on the insights gathered from interviews and observations with blind writers, we built and evaluated new auditory techniques and a Google Docs extension called Co11ab to support accessible collaborative writing in both asynchronous and synchronous settings.

In another study, we focused on understanding and rethinking accessibility in remote work. Through interviews with 36 neurodivergent professionals who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disabilities, and psychosocial disabilities (e.g., anxiety, depression), we found that while working from home neurodivergent professionals need to create accessible physical and digital workspaces, negotiate communication and meeting practices, and reconcile tensions between productivity demands and personal wellbeing. We also performed a group autoethnography to unpack how accessibility in remote work is created (or disrupted at times) in an ability-diverse team. Collectively, we outline an agenda for cultivating inclusive and equitable work environments, highlighting opportunities for both technological improvements as well as reworking organizational policies to integrate accessible practices from the onset.