Description

The ANR COOBRA project (Cooperation between sighted individuals and visually impaired Braille users for learning and working together) is an ANR SAPS initiative that promotes participatory research to address key societal challenges in the inclusion of visually impaired (VI) individuals in education and work. By bridging scientific research with civil society, the project aims to improve access to scientific and technical content, with a focus on two-dimensional structures such as mathematical equations, tables, and graphs. The consortium comprises researchers from LIRIS (SICAL and TWEAK teams), the Lyon 1 University disability services office, the NatBraille Association (NBA), and the COEXISCIENCE association, supported by a committee of Braille and VI experts. Leveraging the NatBraille web-based editor—designed for both VI and sighted users—the project develops multimodal, open-source solutions through collaborative design to foster sustainable inclusion.

COOBRA Website

My Role

As a researcher within this project, I contribute to advancing the understanding of human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported collaborative work/learning (CSCW/CSCL) to enhance access to scientific content for visually impaired individuals. My efforts focus on:

• Investigating effective methods to support VI users in interacting with two-dimensional structures (e.g., equations, tables, graphs), drawing on my experience in digital accessibility and document engineering.
• Collaborating on the design and refinement of tools that enable productive interaction between VI and sighted individuals, emphasizing equitable participation in scientific document editing.
• Engaging with a diverse group of stakeholders, including researchers, VI experts, and developers, to ensure our solutions are informed by practical needs and expert knowledge.

This work builds on my background in educational technologies and aims to address significant inclusion challenges, supporting the project's mission to improve opportunities for VI individuals in education and employment.

• Research Focus: Exploring innovative approaches to VI interaction with complex scientific content.
• Tool Development: Contributing to the creation of inclusive, user-informed collaborative tools.
• Team Collaboration: Working closely with stakeholders to ground research in real-world contexts.