Stacy M. Branham

•Associate Professor, Department of Informatics

•Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science

Biography

Stacy M. Branham, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics and Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. Branham received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech in 2014. Her research focuses on accessibility and disability, examining how people with visual impairments use technology as they navigate social contexts including employment, parenting, and education.

Branham has secured over $25 million in external grant funding as principal investigator or co-investigator, including an NSF CAREER Award in 2021 to advance computing for parents with vision impairments. Her work has been recognized with multiple Best Paper Awards at conferences including CHI, DIS, and ASSETS. In 2021, she was named one of Popular Science's "Brilliant 10" innovators in science and engineering. She has published extensively in human-computer interaction venues, with particular attention to how blind and low vision individuals interact with eBooks, voice assistants, navigation technologies, and workplace software.

Branham serves as a member of the Computing Research Association Education Board of Directors and previously served as Adjunct Chair for Accessibility on the ACM SIGCHI Executive Committee from 2020 to 2023. At UCI, she co-founded the Association for Disabled Faculty and Staff and has been active in accessibility advocacy across campus. She has supervised numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, with several advisees pursuing careers in accessibility research and practice at organizations including Google and Atlassian.

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Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science, Virginia Tech, 2014
B.S. in Computer Science, Virginia Tech, 2007

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Distinctions

NSF CAREER Award, 2021
Best Paper Honorable Mention, Conference on Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT), 2025
Best Paper Honorable Mention, Conference on Computing and Accessibility (ASSETS), 2025
CRA Leadership Academy Member, Computing Research Association, 2025
Best Paper Award Nominee, Conference on Computing and Accessibility (ASSETS), 2024
Best Paper Award Honorable Mention, Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS), 2019, 2024
Distinguished Paper Award, Conference on Cooperative and Human Aspects on Software Engineering (CHASE), 2024
Recognition of Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion, Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 2018
Best Paper Award, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2015, 2018
Alumni Impact Award, Center for Human-Computer Interaction, Virginia Tech, 2025

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Areas of Expertise

Human-Computer Interaction
Accessibility Technology Design
Assistive Technology Interdependence
Blind Parent-Child Co-Reading
Voice Assistant Interfaces
Automated Accessibility Testing
Inclusive Computing Education

Recent Publications

Figueira I., Cisneros J.M., Weber J.L., Sanka W., Phan K., Wong-Ma J., Branham S.M., “Where are the Disabled Students?: A Literature Review of Disability Inclusion in Computing Education Research” (opens in new tab), SIGCSE TS 2026 Proceedings of the 57th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V 1, pp. 330-336, 2026.
Figueira, I., Cisneros, J., Lindo, J., Luong, V., Branham, S.M., “Inspiring Blind and Low Vision High School Students and their Teachers to Access STEM in College” (opens in new tab), Respect 2025 Proceedings of the 2025 Conference for Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering Computing and Technology, pp. 106–114, 2025. Presented at Conference for Research on Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT 2025), Newark, NJ, USA, July 14-16, 2025.
Cha, Y., Jackson, V., Kohl, K., Prikladnicki, R., van der Hoek, A., Branham, S.M., “The Dilemma of Building Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Solutions for Workplace Accessibility” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, pp. 1-17, 2025. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25), Yokohama, Japan, April 26-May 1, 2025.
Q. Zhou, N. Samarasena, K. Han, N. López, Stacy M. Branham, “Which AI Models Create Accurate Alt Text for Picture Books?”, Journal on Technology & Persons with Disabilities, pp. 228-245, 2024.
Figueira, I., Cha, Y., Branham, S.M., “Intersecting Liminality: Acquiring a Smartphone as a Blind or Low Vision Older Adult” (opens in new tab), Assets 2024 Proceedings of the 26th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 1-14, 2024. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '24), New York, NY, October 28-30.
Cassidy, C.T., Branham, S.M., “Dude, Where's My Luggage? An Autoethnographic Account of Airport Navigation by a Traveler with Residual Vision” (opens in new tab), Assets 2024 Proceedings of the 26th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 1-13, 2024. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '24), New York, NY, October 28-30.
Yin, A., Sogani, R., Oewel, B., Phan, K., Park. J.S.Y., Yeo, M.A., Yazzolino, L.A., Arcos, K., Abdolrahmani, A., Blank, E., Gilbert, M.D., Branham, S.M., “'Malicious Pictorials:' How Alt Text Matters to Screen Reader Users' Experience of Image-Dense Media” (opens in new tab), Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference DIS 2024, pp. 1262-1274, 2024. Presented at Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS '24), Copenhagen, DK, July 1-5, 2024.
Cassidy, C., Figueira, I., Park, S., Kim, J.S., Edwards, E.J., Branham, S.M., “Cuddling Up With a Print-Braille Book: How Intimacy and Access Shape Parents' Reading Practices with Children” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, pp. 1–15, 2024. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '24), Honolulu, HI, May 11-16, 2024.
Cha, Y., Figueira, I., Ayala, J., Edwards, E.J., Garcia, J., van der Hoek, Branham, S.M., “'Do You Want Me to Participate or Not?': Investigating the Accessibility of Software Development Meetings for Blind and Low Vision Professionals” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, pp. 1–17, 2024. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '24), Honolulu, HI, May 11-16, 2024.
Cha, Y., Jackson, V., Figueira, I., Branham, S., van der Hoek, A., “Understanding the Career Mobility of Blind and Low Vision Software Professionals” (opens in new tab), Proceedings 2024 IEEE ACM 17th International Conference on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering Chase 2024, pp. 170-181, 2024. Presented at International Conference on Cooperative and Human Aspects on Software Engineering (CHASE '24), Lisbon, Portugal, April 14-15, 2024.
Figueira, I., Cisneros, J.M., Leachman, M., Peña, E.P., Branham, S.M., “Informing Accessible Design of AI Literacy Apps through Practices of Blind Parents Reading with Sighted Children” (opens in new tab), Assets 2024 Proceedings of the 26th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 1-7, 2024. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '24), New York, NY, October 28-30, 2024.
Emory J. Edwards, Michael Gilbert, Emily Blank, Stacy M. Branham, “How the Alt Text Gets Made: What Roles and Processes of Alt Text Creation Can Teach Us About Inclusive Imagery” (opens in new tab), Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS), vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 1-28, 2023.
Akter, T., Cha, Y., Figueira, I., Branham, S.M., Piper, A.M., “'If I'm supposed to be the facilitator, I should be the host': Understanding the Accessibility of Videoconferencing for Blind and Low Vision Meeting Facilitators” (opens in new tab), Assets 2023 Proceedings of the 25th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 1-14, 2023. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '23), New York, NY, October 22-25.
Park, S., Cassidy, C., Branham, S.M., “It's All About the Pictures: Understanding How Parents/Guardians With Visual Impairments Co-Read With Their Child(ren)” (opens in new tab), Assets 2023 Proceedings of the 25th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, 2023. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '23), New York, NY, October 22-25, 2023.
Cassidy, C., Park, S., Branham, S.M., “Alexa, Siri, and Cortana Walk into a Library: The Potential of Voice Assistants in Creating Accessible Co-Reading Experiences”, Workshop on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI), ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '23), pp. 1-4, 2023. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '23), Hamburg, Germany, April 23-28, 2023.
Figueira, I., Cha, Y., Zhu, J., Branham, S.M., “Smartphone Stories: Experiences of Blind and Low Vision Older Adults in Acquiring a Smartphone” (opens in new tab), Companion Publication of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS Companion '23), pp. 156–159, 2023. Presented at ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS Companion '23).
Edwards, E.J., Polster, K.L., Tuason, I., Gilbert, M., Blank, E., Branham, S.M., “'That's in the eye of the beholder': Layers of Interpretation in Image Descriptions for Fictional Representations of People with Disabilities” (opens in new tab), Assets 2021 23rd International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 1-14, 2021. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '21), Online Virtual Conference, October 18-22, 2021.
Storer, K., Branham, S.M., “Deinstitutionalizing Independence: Discourses of Disability and Housing in Accessible Computing” (opens in new tab), Assets 2021 23rd International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 1-14, 2021. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '21), Online Virtual Conference, October 18-22, 2021.
Abdolrahmani, A., Gupta, M.H., Vader, M.-L., Kuber, R., Branham, S.M., “Towards More Transactional Voice Assistants: Investigating the Potential for a Multimodal Voice-Activated Indoor Navigation Assistant for Blind and Sighted Travelers”, pp. 1-16, 2021. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '21), Online Virtual Conference (originally Yokohama, Japan), May 8-13, 2021.
Xu, Y., Branham, S.M., Deng, X., Collins, P., Warschauer, M., “Are Current Voice Interfaces Designed to Support Children's Language Development?” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, pp. 1-12, 2021. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '21), Online Virtual Conference (originally Yokohama, Japan), May 8-13, 2021.

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Most Cited Publications

Bennett, C., Brady, E., Branham, S.M., “Interdependence as a Frame for Assistive Technology Research and Design” (opens in new tab), Assets 2018 Proceedings of the 20th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 161-173, 2018. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '18), Galway, Ireland, October 22-24, 2018.
M. Scheuerman, F. Hamidi, Stacy M. Branham, “Safe Spaces or Safe Places? Unpacking Technology-Mediated Experiences of Safety and Harm with Transgender People” (opens in new tab), Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 2, no. CSCW, pp. 1-27, 2018.
Hamidi, F., Scheuerman, M., Branham, S.M., “Gender Recognition or Gender Reductionism? The Social Implications of Automatic Gender Recognition Systems” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, vol. 2018-April, pp. 1-13, 2018. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '18), Montéal, Quebec, April 21-26, 2018.
Buehler, E., Branham, S.M., Ali, A., Chang, J., Hofmann, M., Hurst, A., Kane, S., “Sharing is Caring: Assistive Technology Designs on Thingiverse” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, vol. 2015-April, pp. 525-534, 2015. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '15), Seoul, Korea, April 18-23, 2015.
Abdolrahmani, A., Kuber, R., Branham, S.M., “'Siri Talks at You': An Empirical Investigation of Voice Activated Personal Assistant (VAPA) Usage by Individuals Who are Blind” (opens in new tab), Assets 2018 Proceedings of the 20th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 249-258, 2018. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '18), Galway, Ireland, October 22-24, 2018.
Branham, S.M., Kane, S., “Collaborative Accessibility: How Blind and Sighted Companions Co-Create Accessible Home Spaces” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, vol. 2015-April, pp. 2373-2382, 2015. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '15), Seoul, Korea, April 18-23, 2015.
Branham, S.M., Kane, S., “The Invisible Work of Accessibility: How Blind Employees Manage Accessibility in Mixed-Ability Workplaces” (opens in new tab), Assets 2015 Proceedings of the 17th International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 163-171, 2015. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '15), Lisbon, Portugal, October 26-28, 2015.
Branham, S.M., Mukkath Roy, A.R., “Reading Between the Guidelines: How Commercial Voice Assistant Guidelines Hinder Accessibility for Blind Users” (opens in new tab), Assets 2019 21st International ACM Sigaccess Conference on Computers and Accessibility, pp. 446-458, 2019. Presented at ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS '19), Pittsburgh, PA, October 28-30, 2019.
A. Abdolrahmani, K.M. Storer, A.R. Mukkath Roy, R. Kuber, Stacy M. Branham, “Blind Leading the Sighted: Drawing Design Insights from Blind Users Towards More Productivity-Oriented Voice Interfaces” (opens in new tab), Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS), vol. 12, pp. 1-35, 2020.
Abdolrahmani, A., Easley, W., Williams, M., Branham, S.M., Hurst, A., “Embracing Errors: Examining How Context of Use Impacts Blind Individuals' Acceptance of Navigation Aid Errors” (opens in new tab), Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Proceedings, vol. 2017-May, pp. 4158-4169, 2017. Presented at ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '17), Denver, CO, May 6-11, 2017.

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Contact Information

Website: https://stacybranham.com

Email: sbranham@uci.edu

Phone: (949) 824-1529

Address: 6097 Bren Hall

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This profile was created with the help of AI.

Last updated on 10/6/2026.