An Adaptive Technologies Course in a CS Curriculum
Blaise W. Liffick · 2005 · Proceedings of the 7th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '05) · doi:10.1145/1090785.1090825
Summary
This poster paper from Millersville University describes part two of an NSF-funded project to integrate assistive technology (AT) into an undergraduate computer science curriculum through an HCI approach. The author argues that computer professionals have expertise in developing and evaluating devices from a usability perspective, yet many AT devices are poorly designed, leading to extensive training needs, low utilisation, and abandonment by users. The course, offered as an advanced elective for senior CS majors, covers thirteen topics: understanding the disabled user, disabilities legislation, universal and user-centred design, basic HCI practices, control interfaces, AAC devices, visual impairment aids, speech synthesis, speech recognition, web accessibility, wireless AT devices, AT for the elderly, user evaluation and assessment, and intelligent agents and AI techniques. A model laboratory was established with specialised hardware including an AAC device, alternative keyboards, alternative pointing devices, and single-switch input devices, supplemented by software such as OCR translation, screen readers, word prediction, speech recognition, and on-screen keyboards. The lab is further supplemented with software emulators and resources from an Assistive Technology Lending Library.
Key findings
Student assignments include practical, real-world projects: developing a single-switch performance test program for clinicians to determine appropriate switch placement, evaluating website accessibility, assessing composition speed across different input methods (word compaction, word prediction, iconic languages), developing a web-based email system for motor-impaired or blind users, and developing software for interfacing AAC devices to standard computers. Two student implementations were selected for inclusion on the AAC Institute's website, demonstrating the quality of the work produced. Pre-testing showed that senior CS students had very little prior knowledge about disabilities, adaptive technology, or their potential roles in providing services to disabled users. After completing the course, students were much more aware and had practical experience in selecting, configuring, and developing AT. Several graduates went on to work in the AT field or pursue graduate studies in AT development. The author identifies cost as the most significant practical barrier — good AT software packages cost around \ while specialised hardware like AAC devices range from \ to \, with vendors offering limited educational discounts.
Relevance
This paper addresses a persistent gap in computer science education: the near-total absence of disability and assistive technology topics from mainstream CS curricula. The author's argument that AT development belongs in computer science departments — not just rehabilitation engineering programmes — remains compelling two decades later, as the need for accessibility-skilled developers has only grown with the expansion of digital services. The course structure provides a practical template for institutions wanting to add accessibility content, covering the full spectrum from legislation and design principles to hands-on development with AT hardware and software. The finding that senior CS students arrive with virtually no awareness of disability or AT underscores why accessibility defects remain so prevalent in software — developers simply are not trained in this area. The cost barriers identified for laboratory equipment remain relevant, though the proliferation of open-source assistive technologies and browser-based accessibility tools has somewhat eased this challenge since 2005.
Tags: accessibility education · computer science curriculum · assistive technology · human-computer interaction · professional development · adaptive technology · AAC · universal design
Standards referenced: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act