Systematic Review Protocol: Interactive Digital Technologies for Non-Visual Access to 2D STEM Content by Blind and Low-Vision Individuals

This protocol presents a registered systematic review that aims to synthesize the landscape of interactive digital technologies enabling blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals to access two-dimensional STEM content — including data visualizations, mathematical notations, diagrams, maps, and tables — through non-visual modalities (tactile, auditory, haptic, or multimodal). Accessibility research in STEM faces persistent methodological challenges: small sample sizes, high heterogeneity of study designs, and the socio-technical complexity of interventions, which often render traditional frameworks such as PICO inadequate. To overcome these limitations, this protocol introduces a novel and coherent integration of three complementary frameworks: PRISMA 2020 for rigorous and transparent reporting, SPIDER for conceptually sound organization of diverse evidence (particularly qualitative and mixed-methods studies), and MMAT 2018 for non-hierarchical quality assessment across five study typologies. The review further adopts Cognitive Load Theory to analyze the cognitive demands imposed by different access solutions and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) extended by UTAUT to examine usability, acceptance, and adoption factors. Methodological innovations include a hierarchical coding scheme with precise operational definitions, a dual-template data extraction architecture (broad mapping + in-depth analysis), and a fully open validation infrastructure using Python and R scripts. Pilot testing on 24 studies achieved excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.92). All extraction templates, codebooks, and validation scripts are publicly released alongside the protocol to promote transparency, reproducibility, and cumulative science in the field of inclusive STEM technologies.