Preliminary Results from a Survey to Measure the Benefits of Accessibility and Universal Design Topics in Course Curricula
Howard Kramer · 2020 · SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing · doi:10.1145/3386296.3386306
Summary
This paper presents preliminary findings from a national survey conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder as part of the Promoting the Integration of Universal Design into University Curricula (UDUC) project. The 24-question survey was distributed to current students and recent graduates from approximately a dozen programs in Computer Science, Digital Media, Environmental Design, and other technical or design-related fields to gauge the benefits of taking accessibility and Universal Design (UD) topics in post-secondary courses. The study was motivated by a significant shift in the business and tech community toward proactive accessibility — driven by court rulings extending ADA coverage to digital environments and a 2015 press release by Yahoo, Facebook, Dropbox, and LinkedIn signaling that accessibility knowledge was preferred for job applicants. Despite growing industry demand, no prior studies had measured the career or educational benefits of accessibility coursework. The first two rounds of solicitation yielded 114 responses, with about a third more respondents having taken accessibility topics than those who had not. Notably, among the 34 respondents who had not taken accessibility courses, all indicated interest in doing so — 21 "very much so" and 12 "somewhat" — and none expressed disinterest. The courses were not offered at their institutions, not by choice.
Key findings
Students who had taken accessibility and UD topics overwhelmingly rated them as either crucial (48.3%) or very valuable (31.7%), with no respondents rating them as having "no value." About 72% identified specific topics and exercises they found particularly useful, with the most frequent being live demonstrations and simulations (e.g., using voice commands to complete tasks), learning evaluation tools like WAVE and color contrast checkers, inspecting HTML markup and ARIA tags, and heuristic evaluation for universal design. Seventy percent of those who took these courses reported that the material had been valuable in specific ways related to employment, academics, or other areas. Forty-two percent reported work-related benefits, including understanding WCAG Level AA requirements for their job, working on accessibility auditing contracts, and testing websites during development. Three individuals indicated the coursework directly helped them obtain a job position. Some respondents highlighted the value of understanding disability as a political and social issue rather than solely a medical one. Several mentioned Universal Design for Learning (UDL) benefits for their teaching practice.
Relevance
This research provides early empirical evidence for what many accessibility advocates have long argued: integrating accessibility into technical and design curricula delivers measurable career and educational benefits. For university administrators and program directors considering adding accessibility content, the finding that 80% of students rated it crucial or very valuable — and that zero students who did not take such courses expressed disinterest — makes a compelling case for curriculum integration. The work-related benefits reported by 42% of respondents directly counter the argument that accessibility is a niche topic with limited professional applicability. For the accessibility profession more broadly, the survey supports the case that the talent pipeline problem — too few professionals with accessibility skills — can be addressed through systematic curricular integration rather than relying solely on post-graduation professional development. The finding that hands-on exercises with real tools (WAVE, screen readers, contrast checkers) were most valued over theoretical content offers practical guidance for course design.
Tags: accessibility education · universal design · curriculum · higher education · career benefits · survey · computer science education
Standards referenced: WCAG 2.0 · ADA