2022 Research Showcase Guide

CREATE faculty and students presented individual research projects at the 2022 Community Day and Research Showcase.

Inclusive Resume Assistant

Kate Glazko, Tamsyn Henke, Sean Benoit, Daniel Bekele, Vainavi Thakkar

To understand AI biases experienced by job-seekers, we built a tool to put de-biasing in the hands of jobseekers. The Inclusive Resume Assistant is a tool for jobseekers to get a more transparent understanding of how/if they are being biased against, and fight back against AI tools that have underlying bias. Through the use of resume modifications such as prompt injections, jobseekers are able to get resume feedback and modify their resumes.

Motion Morph: Automated Mechanism Creation for Accessible Object Adaptation

Sanjana Satagopan, Jerry Cao, Jennifer Mankoff, Shwetak Patel

Everyday objects have fixed motion inputs that are difficult to adapt on a case-by-case basis without engineering expertise. For example, turning a jar lid or opening a door requires grip strength that many individuals with limited hand mobility cannot perform. Through MotionMorph, we introduce an automated approach to generate 3D-printable mechanism adapters that convert an object’s existing motion into a desired output motion, with applications in accessibility.

NavAble

Mumtaz Sheikhaden, Nebiat Markos, Taise Nish, Arsiema Sisay, Dev Dhawan

NavAble is an accessibility-focused campus navigation platform designed to help students, faculty, and visitors navigate the University of Washington more safely and efficiently. The project explores how personalized routing, real-time campus alerts, and accessibility infrastructure data such as elevators, ramps, entrances, and construction updates can improve mobility for individuals with diverse accessibility needs. Through research and stakeholder collaboration with UW departments, NavAble aims to create a more inclusive and reliable campus navigation experience.

Priorities & Preferences of Adults with Spinal Cord Injury for Exoskeleton Walking

Annika Pfister, Siena Villancio-Wolter, Kimberly A. Ingraham

This study explores the perceptions and experiences of adults with a spinal cord injury regarding exoskeletons for walking. Through interviews and focus groups, we aim to better understand the relationships between lived experiences, exoskeleton features, and user priorities.

SmartDrop: Co-Designing an Eyedrop Administration Aid with Participants with Motor or Visual Disabilities

Jerry Cao, Ruiqing Wang, Yuecheng Peng, Sam Wong, Richard Li, Jennifer Mankoff, Shwetak Patel

SmartDrop is an assistive device designed to help people with disabilities self-administer eyedrops more reliably, using motor-driven actuation, camera-based alignment guidance, and real-time success detection. Developed through co-design sessions with disabled eyedrop users and healthcare professionals, it addresses key gaps left by existing aids, including steep learning curves and uncertainty about whether drops were successfully delivered.

Tactile Computer-Aided Design for Multi-Line Braille Displays

Carlos E. Tejada, Felix Hähnlein, Arun Mankoff-Dey, Gilbert Bernstein, Joshua Miele, Adriana Schulz, Jennifer Mankoff

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is important for design, engineering and fabrication. However, 3D CAD environments are largely designed for visual users and inaccessible to non-sighted users. The goal of this project is to rethink 3D CAD design for multi-line braille displays.

Unseen City Canvases: Exploring Blind and Low Vision People’s Perspectives on Urban and Public Art Accessibility

Lucy Jiang, Amy Seunghyun Lee, Jon E. Froehlich, Leah Findlater

Although public art can hold cultural, social, political, and aesthetic significance, it remains largely inaccessible to blind and low vision (BLV) people. Through interviews and design explorations, BLV participants highlighted challenges distinct to urban art contexts: safety took precedence over art exploration, multisensory access measures could be disruptive to others in the public space, and inaccurate AI descriptions could risk cultural erasure. Our work shows that making urban and public art accessible requires more care than simply combining existing approaches from art access and urban access work.

Walker Proximity Sensor

Leo Andrade, Inchara Chetan, Thy Dinh, Chelsea Hom, Panav Kotha, Hongyi Mei, Rutvi Pota

Our team designed a walker-mounted proximity sensing system that helps individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) navigate crowded environments more independently and safely. By utilizing ultrasonic sensors, the device detects nearby people and provides gentle haptic vibration alerts when someone is too close. This discreet, detachable system aims to reduce collisions while promoting independence and confidence for walker users in dynamic public spaces.

Wonder Wheels: A Playground Evolution for All Abilities

Rachel Li, Ben Chua, Jordyn Ohta, Will Hippe, Claire Liu, Mindy Tran

This research focuses on developing an inclusive, vehicle-inspired playground structure called “Wonder Wheels” to promote cooperative play among students with diverse physical and developmental abilities. Developed in collaboration with the Experimental Education Unit (EEU), the design utilizes an open-back, ground-level layout and side railings to ensure full accessibility for children using wheelchairs and walkers. By integrating interactive elements like a gear shift and speedometer, the project aims to improve fine motor skills and foster social interaction with minimal adult assistance.

Wrist Brace

Macy Parson, Ivy Lee, Luke Schlegel, Anisha Rahut, Sienna Moss, Tran Le

We made an adaptable wrist brace for people with limited hand dexterity. It is used so people can live more independently and have access to everyday tools like silverware, hairbrush, toothbrush, stylist, etc. and use them with limited assistance.

Evaluating how educators make computing courses more accessible

Mumina Guled

I examined how instructors and teaching assistants in the University of Washington’s Allen School of Computer Science experienced digital accessibility requirements ahead of the DOJ’s ADA Title II compliance deadline (originally April 2026, now extended to April 2027). The research involved semi-structured interviews with 8 instructors and 3 student TAs, exploring the barriers they face in making course content accessible, how they understand their own responsibility around compliance, and what institutional training and support has or hasn’t worked. Key findings centered on themes like ambiguity around accessibility standards, a gap between knowing a student needs accommodation and knowing how to provide it, the particular challenge of making CS-specific visual content (i.e., diagrams, code visualizations) accessible, uneven TA training, and a strong desire for centralized, platform-specific guidance tools.