Filipa Rocha
Papers
6
Total Citations
127
H-Index
6
About
Filipa Rocha is a human-computer interaction researcher whose work sits at the intersection of accessibility, inclusive education, and child-centered technology design. Her research primarily focuses on creating accessible programming environments and inclusive robotic systems for children with visual impairments, with a particular emphasis on bridging the gap between disabled and non-disabled learners in educational settings. Rocha's most influential contribution is her work on ACCembly, an accessible block-based programming environment that addresses a critical oversight in prior accessibility research — the neglect of spatial constructs in programming education for visually impaired children. This work, accumulated across multiple studies, has garnered over 75 citations and demonstrates both its academic reach and practical significance. Her 2020 paper exploring accessible programming with educators and visually impaired children (49 citations) laid important groundwork for the field. Beyond programming environments, Rocha has pioneered the use of mediator robots to foster inclusion in mixed-visual-ability group settings, exploring how technology can actively promote equitable participation in collaborative learning. Her TACTOPI project further extends this vision through multisensory playful robotics. Across her body of work, Rocha consistently champions inclusion not as an afterthought but as a foundational design principle, making her an important emerging voice in accessible educational technology research.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3The Robot Made Us Hear Each Other23 citations · 2023
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