http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8641 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:57:07 GMT 2026-06-26T02:57:07Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33504 Title: Camera-based assistive apps through a stigma lens Authors: Niu, Lizhou Abstract: Camera-based mobile applications are widely used as assistive technologies, helping people with visual impairments access information about their surroundings. However, the use of these technologies in public spaces often increases the social visibility of people with disabilities, exposes users to unwanted attention, and reinforces external and internal stigma. Despite the growing popularity of these technologies, current design research and technology acceptance models do not adequately address the psychosocial barriers associated with stigma. The thesis aims to explore how stigma influences the use of camera-based applications, identify the mechanisms through which it manifests, and develop strategies to mitigate its impact on users' autonomy and social confidence. This work employed a participatory action research (PAR) approach encompassing four empirical phases. Structured coding and iterative synthesis were used to conduct thematic and content analyses of the qualitative data. Initial interviews examined the daily use of assistive technologies and the perceived stigma among users with moderate to severe visual impairments. A longitudinal experience diary study with key users revealed further details about the use of camera-based apps and uncovered potential drivers of stigma. A co-design workshop explored strategies to address stigma and, through collaboration with stakeholders, facilitated the development of design guidelines. Finally, the guidelines were evaluated for usability and applicability through pilot studies with design peers, online discussions with designers, and in-depth interviews. This work ultimately resulted in the development of a stigma-mitigating design framework. This framework, centred around six design guidelines, provides targeted guidance on identity management, privacy protection, and user empowerment, preventing stigma from impacting user use. The framework highlights core stigmatised factors and the applicability of specific scenarios, enabling designers to understand and apply these guidelines in real-world situations. This work bridges the connection between functional interaction design and mental health, offering valuable insights for developing digital assistive technologies that enhance the autonomy, inclusion, and social dignity of visually impaired users. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33504 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33472 Title: Enhancing inclusivity at Jordan's cultural historical sites through participatory urban and architectural design, AI, and immersive technologies Authors: Aljaafreh, Aseel Abstract: Very few studies have explored the application of inclusive design approaches in cultural and historic sites (CHS) with diverse requirements and principles, beyond physical accessibility. Additionally, despite efforts to enhance accessibility in recent years, international accessibility news and local Jordanian newspapers indicate that many historical sites in Jordan still face significant challenges, especially for individuals with disabilities. The main aim underscoring this PhD project is to identify the factors hindering the implementation of inclusivity in Jordanian historical sites from literary, professional, and social perspectives. Additionally, it seeks to develop tools to enhance the development process for implementing inclusivity in these historical sites using interdisciplinary approaches, participatory engagement, framework development, and digital technology. To address these challenges, the research consisted of 16 stages and adopted the Design Research Methodology (DRM). Star􀀁ng with reviewing recent literature, it extracted inclusive design principles related to cultural historical sites (CHS) using a framework synthesis approach. It then developed and tested assessment and decision-making tools based on these principles. The primary methodological tool comprises five phases and employs a traditional participatory approach. This tool was applied and tested at five cultural historical sites in Amman, Jordan, involving 28 persons with access needs and 10 technicians from the ‘’Accessible Tourism‘’ commitee. After identifying limitations of the tool, the tool evolves from an adaptation of traditional participatory methods into digital participatory methods a􀀃er introducing advantages of digital technology in the field and conducting professionals’ insights regarding using technology, such as immersive technologies, in the design and development process. The digital developed tool employs 3D replicas, interactive technology, immersive environments, and AI algorithms to create an inclusive, user-friendly mobile App that enables both professionals and people with access needs to identify and evaluate inclusivity barriers, as well as find proper interventions that align with legislative requirements, technical feasibility, and site appropriateness. The tool was co-tested by groups of people with access needs and professionals at cultural historical sites in Amman, Jordan, using a co-design workshop and real prototype testing. The tool supports tailored solutions for each identified barrier, reduces future maintenance needs, and safeguards the historical integrity of CHS, preserving them for future generations. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33472 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33466 Title: Bridging human insight and automation: improving alt text generation with human-curated contextual data Authors: Droutsas, N; Spyridonis, F; Daylamani-Zad, D; Glass, PE; Ghinea, G Abstract: The rapid growth of image-based multimedia content on the Web has intensified the challenge of generating high-quality alternative (alt) text descriptions, which is an essential requirement for inclusive online experiences for people with visual impairments. Although recent advances in machine learning (ML) have enabled large-scale automated alt text generation, the accessibility value of such outputs remains limited. This is due to the context-agnostic datasets used to train existing models, resulting in generic descriptions that fail to meet users’ needs in alt text. In this work, we introduce and utilise a human-curated, context-driven dataset of alt text descriptions to train two proof-of-concept ML models aimed at improving alt text quality. We evaluate these models within a controlled, reproducible pipeline and demonstrate that context-aware training leads to statistically significant improvements in human-perceived alt text quality compared to a model trained without contextual inputs. We further examine the role of context-dependent routing and the integration of contextual cues in shaping generated descriptions, both of which are critical but underexplored aspects of alt text accessibility. The findings highlight the value of structured, human-curated contextual data in advancing ML-supported alt text generation and point towards opportunities for hybrid human-AI approaches to inclusive web design. Description: Data availability statement: The data collection protocol using a GWAP is currently under review for separate publication; data and detailed collection protocols will be made publicly available upon acceptance and can be provided upon reasonable request. For the purposes of open access, the authors have applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) Licence to any Accepted Author Manuscript version arising from this submission. Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33466 2026-06-05T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33463 Title: Physical variables to shape individual interpretations into collective knowledge. A participatory data physicalization method for women’s UTI symptoms. Authors: Terenghi, Ginevra Abstract: This doctoral research investigates how data physicalization can support awareness and communication of symptoms in women affected by urinary tract infections (UTIs). Drawing on feminist theories of situated knowledge, biosemiotics, and autographic design, it reconsiders symptoms as interpretative processes that acquire meaning through the continuous interaction between body, perception, and environment, rather than as fixed biomedical evidence. UTIs are among the most common bacterial infections, disproportionately affecting women and often recurring over time. Yet symptom communication remains limited because clinical practice privileges measurable biological indicators, while the qualities of lived experience, such as pressure, burning, discomfort, or urgency, are difficult to articulate and marginalised in clinical accounts. In response, the research identifies physical variables, understood as material properties such as texture, weight, and shape, as a way to translate embodied sensations into tangible and shareable forms. Physical variables therefore operate as participatory devices through which symptoms can be expressed, compared, and collectively interpreted. Through participatory data physicalization, making becomes a process of knowing. Participants work with tangible materials to express, reflect on, and communicate bodily sensations that are often difficult to articulate verbally. Five workshops were conducted between 2023 and 2024 in Switzerland and the United Kingdom, involving around fifty participants. Three sessions with women affected by recurrent UTIs and clinicians form the analytical core of the research. Participants used modular Data-Probes, supported by labels and a structured protocol, to construct artefacts representing their symptoms. The findings show that engagement with physical variables supports reflection, comparison, pattern recognition, and dialogue, transforming individual sensations into collective insights through shared material reference points. The main methodological contribution is the Physical-Variable Apparatus, a material-discursive arrangement that connects labels, protocols, material components, and a digital interface into a system for participation, physical engagement, and interpretation. Beyond UTIs, the approach offers a transferable model for bringing embodied data into participatory enquiry, showing how data physicalization can support collective knowledge production across contexts. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33463 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z