Purpose of Research
We are investigating the effectiveness of workshops to disseminate our evidence-based instructional strategies to computing faculty to integrate accessibility into their courses. Creating accessible technologies for people with disabilities is a fundamental skill for computing students. However, computer science (CS) courses omit accessibility, often because faculty are not trained to include accessibility in computing curriculum, nor do they have opportunities or resources to gain knowledge about teaching accessibility.
This project is a collaborative effort between Creighton University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Western Washington University, with a partnership with Teach Access, a non-profit organization with tech industry ties that focuses on bridging the accessibility skills gap among tech professionals (e.g., few tech professionals are equipped to develop accessible technologies).
Workshop Dates
In-Person Workshop: July 16–17, 2026 at Microsoft Campus in Redmond, WA
Virtual Workshop: July 22–23, 2026
This workshop will be offered in both virtual and in-person formats. The virtual workshop ensures that faculty who are unable to travel can still participate fully.
Study Application
We are accepting applications from faculty interested in incorporating accessibility into their computing courses. Each workshop will include approximately 20 faculty participants. Because the number of applications may exceed the number of available workshop seats, it's possible that not all applicants will be selected to participate in this study. Applicants will be notified of their selection status by July 9, 2026.
Applications submitted by June 28, 2026 will receive full consideration. Applications submitted after that date will be considered as space allows.
Participant Support
Participants will receive up to a $500 honorarium for their participation across the study. The compensation will be staged based on completion of different components of the research.
- $200 after completing the 2-day workshop, pre- and post-workshop survey and post-workshop interview
- $300 after completing at least 4 of 6 follow-up sessions and their associated activities, such as developing and delivering the accessibility module, and the post-study interview.
In-person attendees will also be eligible for up to $1,500 in travel support.
Workshop Overview
We are conducting two 2-day training workshops for computing faculty who are interested in learning how to incorporate accessibility into their courses. The workshops are designed to help faculty embed accessibility concepts naturally into computing education so that they can prepare students and engineers who are accessibility-aware and competent.
The workshops will bring faculty together to learn from people with disabilities, industry experts, and project researchers. Participants will engage with industry-informed panels, hands-on instructional activities, and course development exercises using materials from the researchers prior work and resources developed by Teach Access.
Pre-Workshop Preparation
Prior to each training workshop, participants will be asked to:
- Select a course and lesson they would like to workshop.
- Bring relevant instructional materials, including assignments.
- Indicate their area of expertise and any prior experience with accessibility.
- Review background material on disability and accessibility that we will provide in advance.
Day 1: What to Teach
Day 1 focuses on building a foundational knowledge base and connecting faculty with both disability perspectives and industry expectations.
Tentative Topics
- Impact of (in)accessibility on people with disabilities
- Assistive technology lab
- Accessibility in the tech industry
- Accessibility learning objectives
Day 2: How to Teach
Day 2 focuses on helping faculty translate accessibility knowledge into practical teaching strategies and course integration.
Tentative Topics
- Strategies for Including Accessibility
- Showcase of Exemplar Accessibility Exercises and Assignments
- Small group work sessions for building accessibility materials (e.g. lectures, assignments, etc.)
Follow-Up Meetings
Participation in this study extends beyond the two-day workshop. In the academic year following the workshop, we will conduct six follow-up meetings to support faculty as they integrate accessibility into their courses.
Meetings 1, 2, 4, and 5 will reinforce knowledge from the workshop — for example, hosting a tech professional to share how they apply accessibility on the job, or offering a tutorial on accessibility testing tools. These meetings also give participants a chance to share challenges they encounter and receive feedback as they review lesson plans, prepare assessment tools, and explore new approaches to teaching accessibility.
Meetings 3 and 6 will take place near the end of each academic term and focus on assessing lesson delivery, student learning, overall experience, and plans to continue teaching accessibility beyond the program.
Workshop Goals
The workshop is designed to help with the following:
- Develop a stronger understanding of accessibility and disability in computing contexts.
- Learn practical strategies for integrating accessibility into their courses.
- Create or adapt instructional materials and assignments for future use.
- Align course content with real-world accessibility needs and industry expectations.
- Leave with concrete plans for implementation, assessment, and continued support.
Researchers
Catherine M. Baker is an associate professor at Creighton University. She has added accessibility into many of her courses and is currently research how to support other instructors to do the same. She served as a co-organizer for the Workshop on Including Accessibility in Computer Science Education at ASSETS 2022 and presented at the the SIGCSE pre-symposium session Integrating Accessibility and Disability into the Computing Curriculum in 2022. In addition, she is a partner of AccessComputing and participated in Microsoft’s Accessible Computer Science Education Fall Workshop in 2020.
Yasmine Elglaly is an associate professor of computer science (CS) at Western Washington University (WWU). Her research focuses on spreading awareness about accessibility and disability through design and education. She investigates how accessibility can be taught in CS core courses and in machine learning courses. She organized two prior workshops on accessibility education. Elglaly serves as the director of the CS Distinguished Scholar program at WWU, the secretary of Teach Access executive committee, and the co-chair of SIGCSE’s universal design committee.
Kristen Shinohara is an associate professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She researches how to support graduate students with disabilities and how to include accessibility in computing courses. She served on the Accessibility and Inclusive Design ACM/IEEE/AAAI curriculum subcommittee member for HCI, as co-organizer for the Workshop on Including Accessibility in Computer Science Education at ASSETS 2022 and the SIGCSE pre-symposium session Integrating Accessibility and Disability into the Computing Curriculum in 2022, and participated in Microsoft’s Accessible Computer Science Education Fall Workshop in 2020.
Rolando Mendez is the Director of Education of Teach Access. Previously, he was the Interim Associate Vice President of Online Learning at Inter American University of Puerto Rico. He is a bilingual learning experience designer, manager, and facilitator with more than 14 years of experience in higher education. Throughout his career, he has worked on creating sustainable, scalable, inclusive, and user-centered initiatives to leverage knowledge and learning, especially in online education. He is an advocate for accessibility, equity, and inclusion in education.
Teach Access began as a volunteer grassroots initiative in 2016 and gained its 501C3 status in 2021. Teach Access aims to equip 1 million learners across the United States with skills to build toward an inclusive world by 2030. In collaboration with industry, academia, and nonprofit/advocacy partners, we provide free programs and resources for instructors and students to learn about digital accessibility. Kate Sonka is the Executive Director and Rolando Méndez is the Director of Education.