Fourth Annual Smith-Kettlewell Summer Research Institute

From Ideation to Presentation: AI as a Research Assistant for Blind and Low Vision Data Science Scholars

Apply by June 1, 2026: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehlm1JYGUXf7cjG9MnpmPW4csoOoMg21JekaU0RIpDbCBGsg/viewform?usp=dialog  

The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, the University of Michigan, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are delighted to present our fourth online course dedicated to data science for blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals.

Overview

This year’s course, “From Ideation to Presentation – AI as a Research Assistant for BLV Data Science Scholars,” is the fourth in a series of five yearly “Smith-Kettlewell Summer Institute” courses. It is a guided, project-based experience designed to support BLV researchers through the full research lifecycle, from developing a research idea to presenting findings, while leveraging AI as a core assistive and productivity tool.

The course will run as a structured, four week program combining self-paced modules, live discussion sessions over Zoom, and hands-on practice in the form of a small research project completed over the duration of the course.

A certificate will be issued to participants who successfully complete all course components and present their final project.

Course Objective

Our primary objective is to equip BLV scholars, both emerging and seasoned, with the tools, workflows, and strategies that will enhance the experience of independently conducting end-to-end research using AI-assisted methods.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to leverage AI as an accessibility research assistant for the following aspects of the project lifecycle:

• Literature identification and accessible paper conversion
• Refining research materials and instruments (e.g., IRB protocol, consent, recruitment flyers, interview scripts, surveys)
• Preparing research prototypes (prototyping accessible interactions)
• Transcribing interviews for qualitative analysis 
• Creating functions for statistical analysis of quantitative findings
• Assisting with generating manuscripts and presentations in LaTeX and Quarto, respectively

Course Sponsor

Funding for this Summer Research Institute is provided by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Blindness and Low Vision at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Course Description

This course is designed for blind and low vision individuals who are interested in conducting research using accessible tools and AI-assisted workflows. Instruction will be delivered by blind researchers and practitioners, with a strong emphasis on real-world, reproducible workflows.

Participants will complete a small research project throughout the course. Prior to the course, participants must either:

1. Enter with a feasible research idea, or
2. Participate in pre-course mentoring to develop one

Course Structure

Day 1 (Mon July 13): The Foundations

• Data backup strategies (3-2-1 method)
• Version control (Git, GitHub, and related tools)
• Overleaf and VS Code
• Overview of local vs. cloud AI models and tooling
• AI foundations (prompting, MCP, skills)
• Defining the role and place of AI and research

Day 2 (Wed July 15): Literature Review, Study Design, and Research Compliance 

• AI-assisted literature review tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity)
• Scholarly search platforms (e.g., Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar tools)
• Refining existing research questions
• Brainstorming and refinement of survey/interview questions
• AI as an IRB protocol preparation assistant
• Polish consent forms and recruitment materials with LLMs 

Day 3 (Fri July 17): Research Prototypes  

• What is Wizard of Oz in the context of HCI
• What is rapid iterative testing and Evaluation
• Using AI to code and debug prototype systems for HCI research 

Day 4 (Mon July 20): Data Collection and Analysis 

• Question formatting and import (i.e., minimize the heavy lifting with AI and scripting).
• Techniques for simplifying the survey design workflow with Qualtrics and Google Forms.
• From plaintext-formatted questions to beautiful and live surveys in minutes, not hours.
• Remote recording (e.g., Zoom, Audacity)
• In-person recording setups (e.g., mobile devices, multi-mic configurations)
• Writing and running functions for descriptive and inferential statistics
• Transcription workflows (e.g., Whisper)
• Coding and analysis using AI-assisted tools

Day 5 (Wed July 22): Presentation and Dissemination

• Creating accessible and effective visualizations
• Minimize the LaTeX headaches 
• Make beautiful, impactful, and accessible presentations with Quarto/revealJS 

Day 6 (Fri Aug 14): Final Presentations

• 3-minute presentation + 2-minute Q&A

Eligibility

To participate in the course, you must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Identify as blind or low-vision/visually impaired
• Have reliable internet access
• Have experience with, or interest in, research

Course Instructors

This year’s course will be taught by Dr. JooYoung Seo, Dr. Venkatesh Potluri, Aziz Zeidieh and Dr. Sile O’Modhrain.

Dr. JooYoung Seo is an assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on assistive technologies in computing/data science, ability design human-computer interaction, inclusive Learning Sciences/STEM+C education across abilities, and health informatics.

Dr. Venkatesh Potluri is an assistant professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on understanding accessibility challenges experienced by BVI programmers, and addressing them through the development of accessible developer tools and accessibility datasets.

Aziz Zeidieh is an Informatics PhD candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research is in the area of spatial cognition, and is interested in how multisensory experiences can enable blind and low-vision users to interactively explore maps and other data for orientational familiarization.

Dr. Sile O’Modhrain is a Professor at the School of Information at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on human-computer interaction, especially interfaces incorporating haptic and auditory feedback.

Dr. James M. Coughlan, Director of the Smith-Kettlewell Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Blindness and Low Vision, will provide overall guidance in developing this course.