Best Practices for Teaching Accessibility in University Classrooms: Cultivating Awareness, Understanding, and Appreciation for Diverse Users
Cynthia Putnam, Maria Dahman, Emma Rose, Jinghui Cheng, Glenn Bradford · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing · doi:10.1145/2831424
Summary
This qualitative study investigates how accessibility is taught in US university computing programs, drawing on interviews with 18 professors from top institutions and content analysis of syllabi and course materials. Framed by "authentic learning" pedagogy and the 21st Century Skills framework, the research identifies practices that make accessibility education effective. The study found accessibility was taught in 31 different courses, mostly as 1-2 week modules within HCI courses, with only five dedicated standalone courses. Three programs had systematically integrated accessibility across their curricula: Information Systems at Towson University, HCI at University of Wisconsin, and Human-Centered Design and Engineering at University of Washington. The researchers synthesized findings into two sample syllabi—a 1-2 week module and an 11-15 week standalone course—that serve as practical resources for instructors wanting to incorporate accessibility into their teaching.
Key findings
The most effective approaches for teaching accessibility emphasized making topics personally meaningful through multiple methods: direct interaction with users who have disabilities (cited by 7 instructors as most impactful), simulation exercises (using screen readers, blindfolds, wheelchairs), and guest speakers from the disability community. Instructors used diverse resources including WebAIM, W3C/WCAG documentation, research papers, field trips to assistive technology labs, and videos/movies depicting disability experiences. A critical finding was that 13 of 18 instructors had research agendas or personal commitments to accessibility—instructor initiative was essential because accessibility rarely appears in required curricula. Key challenges included lack of comprehensive textbooks, difficulty recruiting project participants with disabilities, student and administrative unawareness of accessibility importance, and the risk of framing accessibility as charity rather than rights and good design.
Relevance
This paper provides actionable guidance for anyone wanting to teach accessibility in computing education. The synthesized syllabi offer ready-to-use curricula with suggested topics, assignments, and readings. The study raises important structural questions: if accessibility courses are elective and depend on individual instructor initiative, most computing students will graduate without accessibility knowledge. The authors argue that required accessibility education—not optional courses—may be necessary to change industry practice, similar to how physical accessibility improved through legal mandates rather than voluntary adoption. For practitioners training colleagues or organizations, the emphasis on direct interaction with disabled users and avoiding "charity" framing are valuable insights. The study was limited to US universities and did not include professional training programs like WebAIM.
Tags: accessibility education · pedagogy · computing education · curriculum development · inclusive design · higher education
Standards referenced: WCAG · Section 508 · ADA