On campuses across the US, making physical and digital spaces accessible is a requirement. Thanks to laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, university leaders are responsible for making everything from websites to dorm rooms accessible. Now, some universities are including instruction on accessibility as part of their courses. The idea is that students can incorporate these learnings into their skill sets while learning engineering, design and other subjects.
When accessibility is part of the curriculum, students who will then go on to become working professionals in these spheres can better understand the importance of designing inclusively. Three universities stand out for their offerings of programs or courses that showcase the value of accessible design and for instructing students on ways to achieve more inclusive environments.
Columbia Engineering Summer Accessibility Program
Last summer, a group of eight students from different universities around the US traveled to New York to perform accessibility-related research through Columbia’s Computer-Enabled Abilities Laboratory (CEAL). According to CEAL’s director, Assistant Professor Brian Smith, whenever a new technology emerges, it can take five to six years for that tool to become accessible. The work at CEAL and the summer program are helping students get involved in accessible engineering from the beginning to hopefully reduce or eliminate this gap.
Students working on projects with Smith focused on developing ways to make videos and images more accessible for those who are blind or have low vision. Another Columbia Engineering professor, Steven Feiner, worked with students on creating mixed reality experiences that accommodate individuals with dexterity and mobility-related disabilities. Other students worked with Shiri Azenkot, a professor at Cornell Tech, on developing virtual reality experiences that are accessible for people who are neurodivergent.
Smith’s goal is to introduce topics surrounding accessibility to undergraduate engineering students in the hopes that they will consider inclusive development as they continue with graduate studies or in their careers.
Central Washington University’s Accessibility Studies Programs
At Central Washington University (CWU), undergraduate students can earn a certificate or a minor in accessibility studies, while graduate students can pursue a certificate. Courses in the program include Accessibility and User Experience, Universal Design and Accessible Information Design. The curriculum works together with many majors, from health and safety to business or computer science.
CWU recommends the Accessibility Studies program as a way to enter careers including:
- Accessibility Specialists
- Inclusive Design Consultants
- Assistive Technology Specialists
- Disability Rights Advocates
However, there are many other areas where this background would be valuable as the demand for people with accessibility expertise is continuing to grow.
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Graphic Design for Accessibility
At UW-Madison, assistant professor Taekyeom Lee recently introduced a new course titled “Graphic Design for Accessibility.” The goal of the course is to teach students how to design for a more inclusive audience. For Lee, the course draws on his experience as a graduate student. While pursuing his studies, the professor had to undergo several eye surgeries. Working on research while recovering helped him identify common flaws in existing designs and consider improvements.
By focusing on accessible graphic design, the course promotes better visual communication and more inclusivity for those who are blind or have low vision. Lee says students in the course will cover topics like understanding user-centered design and will work on projects such as how to prioritize accessibility in packaging.
The university promoted the course as a special topic but is looking at the possibility of making it a standard offering.
Why Accessibility Needs to be Part of Education
Julia Tung, an engineering student at the University of Colorado-Boulder, recently published an article discussing the need for accessibility to become part of the engineering curriculum. She states that it’s rare for students to be encouraged to design with inclusivity in mind. While accessibility should be a top concern, especially for any university that boasts its emphasis on diversity and inclusion, she identified several barriers on campus and points out that many engineers still design for the average user, rather than all users.
The term “universal design” refers to a focus on all users rather than the average user. Differences might be physical, mental, lingual and more. Accessibility is a piece of this, but the effort to make space — whether digital or physical — more accessible often has added benefits for others. Ramps, for instance, are a classic example of a design feature that accommodates people with disabilities, but also proves useful for many others, including those delivering heavy objects, people pushing strollers and even those who sustain a temporary injury. As a result, such a feature will likely help us at one point or another.
When it comes to identifying better designs, there are plenty of tools available, but there is no real substitute for asking people who might be impacted by different designs. People with disabilities are in the best position to inform others about the accommodations that work best for them.
The programs above and those like them are just starting points for universities looking to teach the next generation of designers, engineers, educators and more. Other educational institutions should be looking at how they can incorporate these concepts into their programs.
More Inclusive Universities Can Train Students to Focus on Accessibility Beyond Campus
The integration of accessibility into university curricula signals a positive shift toward inclusive education. Accessibility-focused programs not only equip students with the skills to achieve more inclusivity, but they also foster a mindset of universal design that will benefit all users. The call for broader adoption of these concepts in education highlights the ongoing need for a more inclusive approach, ensuring that the next generation of designers and engineers prioritize accessibility as a fundamental aspect of their practice.
While accessibility is an important focus for students, it’s also vital for instructors, administrators and anyone else working in higher education. However, not everyone can be an expert in accessibility. By partnering with Verbit, educational institutions across the globe can access the tools and support they need to provide better experiences for every member of their campus community.
Reach out to Verbit for more information about our captioning, transcription, audio description and other accessibility solutions.