"reading Together in the Dark": Designing Natural Parent-Child Shared Reading for Mixed Visual-Ability Families

Shared reading is critical to early childhood development, yet parents with visual impairments face barriers when picture books rely heavily on visual information. Existing assistive solutions often prioritize individual accessibility at the cost of natural parent-child interaction and narrative agency. We present an assistive shared reading system that translates image information into real-time audio prompts through natural touch interaction. A within-subject role-play study shows promising initial usability for both parent and child roles, supporting more accurate and confident storytelling while preserving interaction pacing. This work offers design implications for inclusive shared reading in emotionally intensive family contexts.