Dr. Keshab R. Acharya’s research interests focus on the intersection of user experience (UX), localization, and health justice in the design of biotechnology and digital health tools, such as mobile health applications (mHealth apps), developed in high-income, industrialized nations like the U.S. He specifically examines the extent to which localized UX is implemented in these technologies to foster health justice and equity, with a particular focus on their application in low-income, resource-constrained healthcare settings, especially in countries like Nepal. Dr. Acharya investigates whether these tools are tailored to respond to the cultural, linguistic, and practical needs of multilingual, multicultural users. Broadly speaking, his work delves into the social justice and human rights implications of how these technologies are introduced, accessed, and utilized, especially in resource-limited healthcare contexts where healthcare practitioners and patients face barriers to equity. He also examines how optimizing these technologies by considering the locally situated cultural needs and expectations of users from economically disadvantaged communities can promote global health equity, enhance health security, and ultimately contribute to building a socially just future.

• Acharya, K. R. (2025). Decolonizing mHealth technology for user empowerment and persuasion in the Global South healthcare context: A case study. Technical Communication Quarterly, 34(1), 24–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2023.2292985
• Acharya, K. R. (2024). Designing equitable and inclusive mHealth technology: Insights from Global South healthcare practitioners. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 67(2), 229–245. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPC.2024.3387179
• Acharya, K. R., & Dorpenyo, I. (2023). Translation for social justice and inclusivity in technical and professional communication: An integrative literature review. Technical Communication and Social Justice, 1(1), 41–63.
• Acharya, K. R. (2022). Exploring localized usability implementation in mHealth app design for healthcare practitioners in the Global South context: A case study. Technical Communication. 69(4). 44–63. https://doi.org/10.55177/tc885177
• Acharya, K. R. (2022). Promoting social justice through usability: An integrative literature review. Technical Communication, 69(1), 6–26. https://doi.org/10.55177/tc584938
• Acharya, K. R. (2019). Improving the quality of health care through human-centered design: Contextualizing design of biotechnology implementation for better health care and patient safety. Present Tense: A Journal of Rhetoric in Society, 7(3), 1–9.
• Acharya, K. R. (2019). Usability for social justice: Exploring the implementation of localization usability in Global North technology in the context of a Global South’s country. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 49(1), 6–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047281617735842
• Acharya, K. R. (2018, August). Usability for user empowerment: Promoting social justice and human rights through localized UX design. Proceedings of the 36th ACM International Conference on the Design of Communication. Milwaukee, WI: ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3233756.3233960
• Acharya, K. R. (2016). User value and usability in technical communication: A value-proposition design model. Communication Design Quarterly, 4(3), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1145/3071078.3071083

• Acharya, K. R. (2024). User Localization and mHealth app design in the Global South context. In A. Lancaster & C. S. T. King (Eds.), Amplifying Voices in UX: Balancing Design and User Needs in Technical Communication (pp. 167–191). SUNY.
• Acharya, K. R. (2024). Composing technical documents for localized usability in the international context. In K. St.Amant & P. Zemliansky (Eds.), Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Vol. 6 (pp. 327–344). Parlor Press.

• Acharya, K. R. (2020). Technical communication after the social justice turn. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 50(4), 447–452. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047281620906132
• Acharya, K. R. (2015). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 29(4), 496–499. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651915588086