Ritesh Kanchi
CS & HCI PhD Student @Harvard University
I research how people and computers understand user interfaces, developing intelligent systems that bridge accessibility gaps and support broader interface use. As an HCI researcher and educator, I explore how intentional, inclusive design empowers people in their everyday interactions—centering community needs across my research, teaching, and service.
Recent research
MobileCHI 2026
Deploying an AI-Powered Creative Visual Interpretation Tool to Foster Connections in Mixed Visual-Ability Groups
Arnavi Chheda-Kothary, Ritesh Kanchi, Chris Sanders, Kevin Xiao, Jon E. Froehlich, and Jacob O. Wobbrock
RESPECT 2026
Diagrams Are Structures: Reframing Accessibility for Data Structure Diagrams
Brianna Wimer, Ritesh Kanchi, Jennifer Mankoff, and Ronald Metoyer
Perspectives Best Paper
Thematic Exemplary Paper
CHI 2026
Nonvisual Support for Understanding and Reasoning about Data Structures
Brianna Wimer*, Ritesh Kanchi*, Kaija Frierson, Venkatesh Potluri, Ronald Metoyer, Jennifer Mankoff, Miya Natsuhara, and Matt Wang
Some of my work
STEMpump for iOS
An app designed to help students learn what they want, how they want
ARUW Prism
An internal platform to classify and manage robot vision data
Anchor
A collaborative writing platform with context-aware and assistive AI
Arboretum
A system for creating, transforming, and rendering accessible data structure representations