About
Dr. Shital Desai is an Associate Professor of Interaction Design in the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design and the York Research Chair in Accessible Interaction Design at York University. She directs the Social and Technological Systems (SaTS) Lab, where her community-engaged research focuses on designing accessible technologies for marginalized groups—including people with physical and cognitive impairments, older adults, children, and individuals on the autism spectrum. Her work examines how technologies can support everyday activities, communication, and relational closeness by understanding people’s needs, habits, and rituals, and by adapting to these dynamic contexts of use.
Keywords: Human Computer Interaction, Human Centred Design, Human Centred AI, Systems Design, , Ageing and Technology, Designing for Children and Youth, Health and Wellbeing; Planetary Health
Research and Experience
Her research explores how emerging technologies such as eXtended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be designed to meet these needs through participatory design and human- and system-centred approaches, advancing inclusive and adaptive solutions that reduce barriers and foster accessibility. She co-leads a Connected Minds Teams Grant with Dr. Claire Davies, advancing inclusive communication for people with disabilities across care, education, and workplace contexts. Her research is also supported by multiple grants, including NSERC Discovery and CFI.
With nearly 30 years of combined academic and industry experience in Design and Engineering, Dr. Desai integrates STEAM principles into design research, education, and practice. She contributes expertise as a member of the WHO Dementia Knowledge Exchange peer review network and serves as Vice-Lead of the Training Committee for the Connected Minds program. Her contributions have been recognized through several awards, including the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA, 2024), the AMPD Research Award (2021–22), the York Research Award (2022–23), and the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award (2023).
