Mengqi Shi
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Accessibility and Inclusive Interaction

I am interested in accessibility as a broad HCI problem: how interactive systems can lower barriers to participation while remaining responsive to users' real social and physical contexts. My recent work spans emotionally supportive conversational AI for older adults and accessibility-oriented prototyping for educational play.

Across these projects, I work with qualitative methods, design implications, and early prototyping to better understand what inclusive interaction looks like for populations whose needs are often overlooked in mainstream system design.

"I care about systems that reduce barriers without taking control away from the people they are meant to support."

Research Questions

  • How can interactive systems reduce barriers to participation for people with different physical, social, or emotional needs?
  • What does accessible support look like when users turn to technology because human support feels unavailable or difficult to access?
  • How can design preserve dignity, independence, and agency while still providing meaningful assistance?

Current Project Areas

  • Studies of older adults' emotionally supportive use of conversational AI, with attention to barriers, dignity, and dependence.
  • Physical prototyping and early interaction design for more inclusive forms of play and support.