ACE Lab
About Us
The ACE Lab at the University of Washington combines information science and computer science to conduct original research in human-computer interaction (HCI). The lab is directed by Prof. Jacob O. Wobbrock.
ACE Lab members create Accessible Computing Experiences, holding that interactive technologies should serve and enhance user experience for all people.
ACE Lab members also create Advanced Computing Experiences using AI/ML, sensing, human factors, user modeling, statistics, and design thinking to craft interactive systems that empower users.
Mission
To create interactive technologies that improve people's access to and experience of computers and information, especially for people with disabilities or in disabling situations.
Our Pick Six
Vision
"The world has arrived at an age of cheap complex devices of great reliability, and something is bound to come of it." — Vannevar Bush (1945)
Creativity
"The most dangerous phrase in the language is, 'We've always done it this way.'" — Grace Hopper
Elegance
"The stuff I design, if I'm successful, nobody will ever notice. Things will just work." — Radia Perlman
Utility
"The value of an idea lies in the using of it." — Thomas Edison
Inclusion
"Everybody has to be able to participate in a future that they want to live for. That's what technology can do." — Dean Kamen
Perseverance
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." — Albert Einstein
Feature Story
Read about the ACE Lab (formerly the MAD Lab) in this feature story by UW Information School News.
News
- 2026 SIGACCESS Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computing and Accessibility — Jacob O. Wobbrock has received the highest award from ACM SIGACCESS for his body of work on accessible computing.
- ASSETS 2025 Lasting Impact Award — Freedom to roam by Shaun K. Kane, Chandrika Jayant, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Richard E. Ladner.
- UIST 2024 Lasting Impact Award — $1 recognizer by Jacob O. Wobbrock, Andrew D. Wilson, Yang Li.
- ASSETS 2024 Best Paper — Children's artwork in mixed visual-ability families by Arnavi Chheda-Kothary, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Jon E. Froehlich.
- MobileHCI 2024 Best Paper — Ability-based design mobile toolkit by Judy Kong, Mingyuan Zhong, James Fogarty, Jacob O. Wobbrock.