In what ways can we advance our research on conversational user interfaces (CUIs) by including considerations on inclusivity and equity? As CUIs, like Google Home or chatbots, become an increasingly popular and commercially viable way of interacting with digital devices, investigation into the practice and design of more inclusive speech interactions are all the more essential. Authors across all disciplines are invited to submit position papers to the CHI 2023 workshop on the Inclusive Design of CUIs Across Modalities and Mobilities. We expect that the workshop will encourage contributions and discussions from participants, regardless of whether or not they consider themselves to be “experts” on these topics or the user populations in question. Papers can address the state of CUIs and their design for marginalized and vulnerable populations, ways to practice inclusive design of CUIs, and how we can move forward in the inclusive design of CUIs. Potential submissions can look at other areas that are related, such as how to address diverse groups of users that are potentially vulnerable or under-served, e.g., due to socio-economic status or disability.

Submission Information

We seek position papers that are 3 to 4 pages long (including references), submitted in the CHI Extended Abstract format, and describe work of discussion related to the position paper inclusive design topics outlined above. Admittance to the workshop will be based on the overall quality, novelty, and relevance of the submission, and the CUI community’s goals of bringing together a set of participants that can represent the diverse and multidisciplinary facets required for the design of CUIs. We will pay particular attention to under-served regions or universities, for our inclusive community will benefit from this, especially concerning the inclusive design of CUIs. Papers should be submitted to Jaisie Sin by February 23rd, 2023 March 1st, 2023 AoE. At least one author of each accepted paper must attend the workshop. All participants must register for both the workshop and for at least one day of the conference.

For those who cannot or do not wish to submit a position paper to the workshop, we are happy to accept a one-page statement of interest. This should include why the applicant is interested in participating in the workshop, their relevancy to the workshop, and what the person expects to contribute. Please do note that we may prioritize people who submit positions papers, and we still expect attendees accepted with statements of interests to pay the mandatory workshop and conference fees.

Publication

Accepted papers will be posted to the workshop website ahead of the workshop date and serve as the basis for presentations and discussion at the workshop. For examples of papers that are acceptable for the workshop, please see the websites for past CHI workshops in 2022 and 2021. All accepted workshop papers will also be invited to submit to the CUI ’23 conference taking place in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Position Paper Topics

We will focus on three main areas of discussion: (1) The state of CUIs and their design for marginalized and vulnerable populations; (2) Practicing inclusive design of CUIs; and (3) Moving forward in the inclusive design of CUIs. For each of these topics, we invite participants to share their research on all marginalized or vulnerable populations. We expand on these themes below.

State of CUIs and their design for marginalized and vulnerable populations. Existing research provides preliminary insights into the perceptions and barriers to CUI use for marginalized and vulnerable populations (e.g., on CUIs for older adults). What are the important opportunities, challenges, and open issues when it comes to CUI design for marginalized and vulnerable populations, such as older adults? Are there discrepancies between what was intended by CUI developers and what has been found in research (e.g., as hinted in previous research)? Is there evidence that some CUIs and their design unintentionally exclude different user groups, for example on the basis of age, race, or gender?

Practicing inclusive design of CUIs. The development of digital technologies has historically often overlooked the unique needs of vulnerable or marginalized user groups such as older adults, resulting in their exclusion from experiencing the opportunities of the growing digital world and damaging real life consequences. How can CUI designers and developers ensure that these mistakes of the past are avoided in order to develop truly inclusive CUIs? How should CUIs be designed to be accessible and empowering for all and what can we learn from these insights for the design of CUIs that have a broad user base?

Moving forward in the inclusive design of CUIs. It is important for the CHI community to continue exploring open issues and actively tackle issues of inclusion in relation to CUIs, but what direction should be taken to do so? How can we bridge knowledge gaps between speech interaction and design inclusive for older adults? What are the topics that the CHI community should use to help frame their explorations of the inclusive design of CUIs? What can the CHI community learn from inclusive design practices and, in turn, improve the inclusiveness of such technologies?

The proposed topics address CUIs for marginalized and vulnerable populations through the lens of inclusive design, which is receiving growing academic interest in the speech community. For this, we expect a diverse audience with varying interests and points of view. The topics proposed for the workshop do not require close knowledge of the inner workings of speech interaction or inclusive design. We expect that the workshop will encourage contributions and discussions from all participants, regardless of whether or not they consider themselves to be “experts” on these topics or the user populations in question.