Omar Khan
researcher, (over)thinker, and cat parent
hello!
I am a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate studying Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) advised by Dr. JooYoung Seo in the (x)Ability Design Lab. My interests lie broadly in human-computer interaction (HCI), and I am especially interested in the intersection of accessibility, human-AI interaction, and education, particularly how we can craft digital experiences that responsibly make use of emerging technologies, particularly with and for the blind and low-vision (BLV) community.
I am actively seeking research-oriented and engineering-oriented internships for summer 2026!
Current Research Interests
Accessibility/Assistive Technologies
Investigating the ease of use of existing digital platforms for those with disabilities, particularly the blind and low-vision (BLV) community
Computing Education
Exploring how we can make computing education more accessible and inclusive for those with disabilities, particularly the blind and low-vision (BLV) community
Affective Computing
Understanding the underlying emotions that those with disabilities and other historically underrepresented groups face in navigating the digital world
Human-Centered AI
Designing intelligent and accessible user experiences that leverage emerging technologies such as large language models (LLMs), and understanding user sentiment about personalized systems
Other Academic Interests
Tech Law and Policy
Examining past, present, and future tech/Internet laws and policies across the world and identifying how/why they are shaped the way they are
Mental Health and Well-Being Technologies
Exploring the rapid growth and development of digital mental health (DMH) tracking services and their lack of consideration for the broader disability community