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Cited by 48Digital Accessibility for DisabilitiesTactile and Sensory InteractionsAssistive Technology in Communication and Mobility

NavStick: Making Video Games Blind-Accessible via the Ability to Look Around

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Nair, Vishnu, Karp, Jay L, Silverman, Samuel, Kalra, Mohar, Lehv, Hollis, Jamil, Faizan, Smith, Brian A.·2021·The 34th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology
DOI 10.1145/3472749.3474768
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Abstract

Video games remain largely inaccessible to visually impaired people (VIPs). Today’s blind-accessible games are highly simplified renditions of what sighted players enjoy, and they do not give VIPs the same freedom to look around and explore game worlds on their own terms. In this work, we introduce NavStick, an audio-based tool for looking around within virtual environments, with the aim of making 3D adventure video games more blind-accessible. NavStick repurposes a game controller’s thumbstick to allow VIPs to survey what is around them via line-of-sight. In a user study, we compare NavStick with traditional menu-based surveying for different navigation tasks and find that VIPs were able to form more accurate mental maps of their environment with NavStick than with menu-based surveying. In an additional exploratory study, we investigate NavStick in the context of a representative 3D adventure game. Our findings reveal several implications for blind-accessible games, and we close by discussing these.

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  • Prior research in 2-D image exploration, BLV video game, and AR accessibility found that structured, menu-based navigation was favored for ease of use and reliably accessing all objects, while free-form exploration provided greater autonomy and spatial awareness, but was more difficult to control.

    “This fi nding aligns with prior research in 2-D image exploration [57] and BLV video game [55] and AR [33] accessibility, which found that structured, menu-based navigation was favored for ease of use and reliably accessing all objects, while free-form exploration provided greater autonomy and spatial awareness, but was more difficult to control.”

    From From Screen Reading to "Scene Reading" in SceneVR: Touch-Based Interaction Techniques for Use in Virtual Reality by Blind and Low-Vision Users (2025) · cites this paper as [55]

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Research works printed but not linked: 24

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Nair, V., Karp, J. L., Silverman, S., Kalra, M., Lehv, H., Jamil, F., & Smith, B. A.
Affiliations
  • Columbia University (US)
  • SUNY New Paltz (US)
ORCID
Venue
The 34th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology
Publisher
ACM
Published
2021-10-10
Pages
538-551
DOI
10.1145/3472749.3474768
OpenAlex
W3198749099
Cited by
48
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 4
FWCI
8.21
Type
conference paper
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.acm.org/publications/policies/copyright_policy#Background (vor)
Locations
  • ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Digital Accessibility for Disabilities
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Assistive Technology in Communication and Mobility
Keywords
visual impairment, cognitive maps, accessible game design

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