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We surveyed 70 mobile app creators (34 professionals and 36 students learning mobile app creation) to understand their perceptions toward creativity and accessibility. We found mobile app creators who treated design constraints as creative constraints naturally included accessibility, but those with the freedom of unrestricted aesthetic design often disregarded accessibility. Our research suggests that we can change negative perceptions toward accessible design by making it an integrated part of the creative process. 

A current trend in mobile user interface design is to provide alternative color modes (ACMs), such as light mode, dark mode, and high contrast mode, to improve people’s interaction experiences according to their vision access needs and/or the environment. For example, high contrast mode can improve UI visibility for people with low vision and for people using their smartphones in bright sunlight. However, little is known about the experiences of people using ACMs. To address this, we interviewed 29 people with and without vision impairments to discuss the benefits and challenges of ACMs. We found that while ACMs are beneficial, the current implementation results in accessibility and usability issues, particularly for people with vision impairments (e.g., negative health consequences and affected work performance). Using our findings, we outline steps the HCI community should consider to address current limitations and improve future ACMs. 

The popularity of accessibility research has grown recently, improving digital inclusion for people with disabilities. However, researchers, including those who have disabilities, have attempted to include people with disabilities in all aspects of design, and they have identified a myriad of practical accessibility barriers posed by tools and methods leveraged by human-computer interaction (HCI) researchers during prototyping. To build a more inclusive technological landscape, we must question the effectiveness of existing prototyping tools and methods, repurpose/retrofit existing resources, and build new tools and methods to support the participation of both researchers and people with disabilities within the prototyping design process of novel technologies. This full-day workshop at CHI 2025 will provide a platform for HCI researchers, designers, and practitioners to discuss barriers and opportunities for creating accessible prototyping and promote hands-on ideation and fabrication exercises aimed at futuring accessible prototyping.