Summer Research

This summer I have worked with Varsha Koushik extensively on projects aimed at improving accessibility for individuals with cognitive disabilities. My work began with reading and analyzing a wide range of research papers to understand the tools, strategies, and approaches that can best support this community. I applied these insights in practice by transcribing interviews using Descript and systematically coding them in Dedoose to uncover key themes and patterns. Building on this analysis, I contributed to writing the findings sections for the paper "Functional with a Smattering of Fun": Accessible Makerspaces as Vocational Pathways and Community Resources, where we highlighted the challenges and solutions for making technology and makerspaces more inclusive. Furthermore, this paper was accepted into the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. Beyond research and writing, I also developed a text-to-3D rendering software project, exploring how emerging technologies can create new opportunities for accessibility and inclusive innovation. Through this combination of research, writing, and software development, I continue to pursue work that bridges technical problem-solving with real-world social impact.