---
layout: default
---

* TOC
{:toc}

{: .module} # Module 1: Accessibility Basics
: 

{: .week}
# Week 1 (1/3): Introduction to Accessibility

{% details Learning Goals %} 
- What is Accessibility? Disability?
- What is the difference between Disability studies, Disability Justice; and various models of disability
- History of disability rights 
- Understand models for disability-centered design
{% enddetails %}

{% details Class Plan %} 

{: .topic}  5:30-6:20 Introduction to Accessibility & Disability
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Introduction to Accessibility" loc="accessibility.html" %}

{: .break}  6:20-6:40 
: Break / Food 


{: .topic} 6:40-7:50 In-class Activities 
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="In Class Activities" loc="accessibility-activities.html" %}

{: .activity} Skill Goal: Learn how accommodations can make a meeting more inclusive
: **In class Exercise** Put your accommodation needs into PollEverywhere; discuss what comes up and what else might be relevant 
: **Small Group Discussion** How would you implement this in your workplace? ([post on Ed](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2347303))

{: .activity} Skill Goal: Analyze a piece of technology from a Disability Rights perspective
: **Small Group Discussion** Analysis of the iPhone ([post on Ed](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2342976))

{: .activity} Skill Goal: Analyze a topic from a disability justice perspective
: **Small Group Discussion** Analyze masking from a disability justice perspective ([post on Ed](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2345037))

{: .break} 7:50-8:00
: Break 

{: .topic}  8:00-8:20 Overview of course 
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Introduction to Course" loc="syllabus.html" %}
Introduction to course syllabus & assignments

{% enddetails %}


{% details Preparation for next week  %}
- {: .homework} **1/3 [Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)**
- {: .homework} **Homework:** [Disability Justice Homework](assignments/disabilityjustice.html) Assigned: Pick an access topic and analyze it from a disability justice perspective. 
- **Required: Reading AND Preparation** by start of class. Respond to the reading questions by  start of class and Preparation requirements on Ed. 
   - **Come to next class prepared** to use either switch control, a screen reader, or magnification on your phone. 
   - Accessibility Testing: Read [The importance of Manual Accessibility Testing](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/09/importance-manual-accessibility-testing/) and [**Respond on Ed**](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2345222)
   - **Come to next class prepared** with an image you found on the web that does not have ALT text
   - ALT text: Read about [image alt text](https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/) and watch [It's complicated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By6nzFefcxs) and [**Respond on Ed**](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2345223)
   - Audio Description: Read [What is audio description?](https://adp.acb.org/articles/adprocess.html) from [The Audio Description Project](https://www.acb.org/adp/ad.html) and [**Respond on Ed**](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2345225)

**Optional**
- [Switches](https://axesslab.com/switches/)

{% enddetails %}

{: .week}
# Week 2 (1/10): Accessibility Assessment 1: Guidelines and Assessment

{: .prepare} Come Prepared
: Come to class with an image, diagram, or other graphic you want to describe; Be prepared (install and try out) one of: switch control, a screen  reader, or magnification on your phone

{% details Learning Goals %} 
- What are the current accessibility standards
- Get comfortable with basic image  description (images, people)
- How do we use automated tools to assess accessibility
- How can we use accessibility technology to assess accessibility
- Get comfortable using existing freely available accessibility technology to support assessment
{% enddetails %}

{% details Class Plan %} 

{: .topic}  5:30-6:00 Introduction to Assessing Accessibility  & Practice
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Assessing Accessibility" loc="assessment.html" %}

{: .activity} Skill Goal: Image Description 
: **In class Exercise**  Break into small groups and show each other the inaccessible images you found. Work on a short and long description appropriate to your image type. ([post on Ed](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2347293))

{: .break}  6:20-6:40 
: Break / Food 

{: .topic} 6:40-7:40 More about Assessment
: Digging deeper into assignments and assessment skills

{: .topic}  Guidelines 1.1, 1.2, and Automated Assessment
: **Slides Continue** {% include slide.html title="Assessing Accessibility Cont..." loc="assessment.html#45" %}

{: .activity} Skill Goal: Automated Assessment 
: **In class Exercise** Use WebAIM [Wave](https://wave.webaim.org/) to [assess the Seattle Public Schools Website](https://wave.webaim.org/report#/https://www.seattleschools.org/) ([Post a UAR on Ed](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2349808)

{: .break} 7:40-7:50
: Break 

{: .topic}  Guidelines 1.3, 1.4, and Manual Assessment
: **Slides Continue** {% include slide.html title="Assessing Accessibility Cont..." loc="assessment.html#52" %}

{: .activity} Skill Goal: Use Accessibility Technologies to assess the same website
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Assessing Accessibility Cont..." loc="assessment.html#65" %}

**In class Exercise** Break into small groups. Each pick one of the following and try out the website
- Screen reader
- Switch input
- Magnification

Try to find something you didn't find with an automated tool. ([Post a UAR on Ed](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2349808))

{% enddetails %}
 

{% details Preparation for next week  %}
- {: .homework} **1/10 [Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)**
- {: .homework} **Homework:** [Website/app accessibility](assignments/website.html) Assigned: Assess and write a report 
- **Required Readings:** Respond to the Reading Questions and Preparation Requirements on Ed
   - Read: [Comparison of different methods for accessibility testing](https://sol.sbc.org.br/journals/index.php/jis/article/view/1778/1848) Mateus etal, 2021  and [**Respond on Ed**](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2363730) 
   - Read: About how [web semantics are conveyed to screen readers](https://alistapart.com/article/semantics-to-screen-readers/)   and [**Respond on Ed**](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2363732) 

**If you want to dig deeper**
- Watch: [Google Video on Practical Web Accessibility](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x18vEEfpK3g) — this video provides a great overview of the Web and how to make web content accessible. Highly recommended as a supplement to what we will cover in class.
- Watch: [Latte: Use-Case and Assistive-Service Driven Automated Accessibility Testing Framework for Android](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z84jeO0UZFE) and read [Lies, Damned Lies, Overlays, and Widgets](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lies-damned-overlays-widgets-timothy-springer/)
- Read: [Semantics for Eye tracking](https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3338844)
- Watch: [Rescribe: Authoring and Automatically Editing Audio Descriptions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmyPmT5T0PY)
- Read: [Is your web page accessible? A comparative study of methods for assessing web page accessibility for the blind](https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1054972.1054979)

{% enddetails %}

{: .week}
# Week 3 (1/17): Accessibility Assessment 2: Tradeoffs and Advanced Methods
{% details Learning Goals %} 
- What are the tradeoffs between different tools?
- Beginning to look at study design by example
- More advanced accessibility techniques
    - Differences between Image description, Diagram description and UI description
    - Video description & Captioning
    - Math, Tables & other elements (including custom interactors)
    - Navigation and its impact on Accessibility; how to set up proper header structures.
{% enddetails %}

{% details Class Plan %} 

{: .topic}  5:30-6:00 Comparison of Accessibility Assessment Approaches
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Assessing Accessibility: Comparing Techniques" loc="assessment2.html" %}

{: .activity} Discussion: Value of Cumulative Assessment
: **In class Exercise**  Find the students who assessed the same website as you. Talk about the UARs you generated. Did you find different problems from other students? Why do you think you did, or did not, find different problems? Post your discussion notes to the Ed Thread for your website.

{: .break}  6:20-6:40 
: Break / Food 

{: .topic}  6:40-7:40 Best Practices for Improving Accessibility
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Best Practices: Improving Accessibility" loc="best-practices.html" %}

{: .activity} Skill Goal: Video description
: **In class Exercise** Break into small groups. Pick a video from [youdescribe.org](https://youdescribe.org/) and work on a description as a group. ([post a link to your video on Ed](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2350670))


{: .break} 7:40-7:50
: Break 

{: .activity} In Class Work Time
: Finish your video description and post it. If done early, work on your website writeup.


{% enddetails %}

{% details Preparation for next week  %}
- {: .homework} **[Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)**
- **Required Readings** Respond to the Reading Questions and Preparation Requirements on Ed
    - Read [Anticipate and Adjust](https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3491102.3501882) [**Respond on Ed**](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2364596) 
	- Read [Blurring the Boundaries Between Assistive Tech and Companionship](https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/01/26/amazon-alexa---blurring-the-boundaries-between-assistive-tech-and-companionship/?sh=2821499375e7)
    - Read [Disability Dongles](https://blog.castac.org/2022/04/disability-dongle/) by Liz Jackson and [**Respond on Ed**](https://edstem.org/us/courses/31170/discussion/2364600) 

**If you want to dig deeper**
- [How To Do Something Good In The Disability Community If You’re Not Disabled](https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2020/12/16/how-to-do-something-good-in-the-disability-community-if-youre-not-disabled/?sh=4befcb377d7f)
- [COVID 19 websites violate disability laws](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-25/covid-19-vaccine-websites-violate-disability-laws-create-inequity-for-the-blind)
- [Alexa & Accessibility](https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3173574.3174033?casa_token=T1I2RwihIjsAAAAA:QEm3SjurdlcW7oX_1LadxaglZ7oneBX-XLIjMCHbof3gu_IFpDW2OO5tqxZfLIps-94Qik9y5wNw8Q) 
-  [Design, Disability and Knowing the 'Other'](https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/3290605.3300528#:~:text=WHAT%20IS%20EMPATHY%3F-,The%20Promise%20of%20Empathy%3A%20Design%2C%20Disability,%2C%20and%20Knowing%20the%20'Other'&text=This%20paper%20examines%20the%20promise,order%20to%20inform%20technology%20development.)  

{% enddetails %}

{: .week}
# Week 4 (1/24): Accessible Needfinding and Evaluation
{% details Learning Goals %} 
How to assess whether a technology is accessible; and whether an accessibility technology is useful and usable, in an inclusive fashion.
- How do you make sure your *product is accessible* to people with disabilities
   1. Data Equity and implicit bias
   2. Beyond automated assessment: Accessible Summative Studies
   3. Importance of Intersectionality
- How do you make sure your *accessibility technology is valued* by people with disabilities
   - What are potential data sources for assessing value
   - Collaboration Versus Paternalism
   - Overly narrow views of disability: Multiple disabled people & multiply disabled people
{% enddetails %}

{% details Class Plan %} 

{: .topic}  5:30-6:00 Introduction to Accessible Evaluation 
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Assessing Accessibility" loc="evaluation.html" %}

{: .topic}  6:00-6:20 Practice Study Design
: **Amazon Alexa** 
    1. Write down a list of accessibility assessment goals (metrics) 
    2. Write down a sampling goal (who is included)
    3. Discuss

{: .break}  6:20-6:40 
: Break / Food 

{: .topic}  6:40-7:30 Slides & Discussion:
: **Slides** {% include slide.html title="Designing for and with people with disabilities" loc="designing.html" %}

Discussion of Disability Dongle Paper

{: .topic}  7:30-7:40 First Person Accounts
: Introduction to  [Finding Accessibility](assignments/finding-accessibility.html)

{: .break} 7:40-7:50
{: .topic} 7:50-8:20 Work on Assignment 
: 

{% enddetails %}

{% details Preparation for next week %}
- {: .homework} **[Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)**
- {: .homework} [Finding Accessibility](assignments/finding-accessibility.html) Assigned: Summarize a first person account of an access technology
- {: .homework} **Post-module Reflection:**  [Accessibility Basics Reflection](https://forms.gle/Wk8C51m5Sbq8RX7W8)
- **Required Readings** Respond  to the Reading Questions and Preparation Requirements on Ed

{% enddetails %}

{: .module} # Module 2: Second Wave Accessibility
: 

{: .alert} # DRAFT ALERT: Everything below here is not well defined yet
: 

{: .week}
# Week 5 (1/31): Multi-Person Systems and Access
**Learning Goals** TBD

{% details Class Plan: STILL TBD %} 
...

{: .topic 7:50-8:20 Presentations
Presentations: Accessibility Assessment Assignment

{% enddetails %}


{: .homework} [Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)
{: .homework} Readings for next week 
: 

{: .week}
# Week 6 (2/7): Data Equity
**Learning Goals** TBD

{% details Class Plan: STILL TBD %} 
...

{% enddetails %}


{: .homework} [Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)
{: .homework} Readings for next week 
: 

{: .week}
# Week 7 (2/14): Making Accessibility: Fabrication and Physical Computing
**Learning Goals** TBD

{% details Class Plan: STILL TBD %} 
...

{% enddetails %}


{: .homework} [Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)
{: .homework} Post-module Reflection
: 

{: .homework} Readings for next week 
: 

{: .module} # Module 3: Third Wave Accessibility
: 

{: .week}
# Week 8 (2/21): Intersectionality with Race, Gender & Other Identities
**Learning Goals** TBD

{% details Class Plan: STILL TBD %} 
...

{% enddetails %}



{: .homework} Readings for next week 
: 

{: .week}
# Week 9 (2/28): Sustainability, Urban Access and Housing
**Learning Goals** TBD

{% details Class Plan: STILL TBD %} 
...

{% enddetails %}


{: .homework} [Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)
{: .homework} Readings for next week 
: 


{: .week}
# Week 10 (3/7):  Healthcare Technologies & Reproductive Justice

**Learning Goals** TBD

{% details Class Plan: STILL TBD %} 

{: .lecture} Final project check-in
: **Process** Teams present project status for in-class discussion.

...

{% enddetails %}


{: .homework} [Class Participation survey](https://forms.gle/qcjc5fSNSAVeE5pK9)
{: .homework} Post-module Reflection
: 

{: .homework} Readings for next week 
: 

{: .week}
# Finals week: Final presentations between 3/11 and 3/17 (still TBD)

{: .lecture} Final project presentations
: 

{% details Currently Unused %} 
**Optional**
- [Living Disability Theory: Reflections on Research, Access and Design](https://make4all.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/hoffmann-living-disability-theory.pdf)
- [Disability Studies as a source of critical inquiry...](https://make4all.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/MankoffAssets2010.pdf)
- [Vital coronavirus is failing the blind and visually impaired](https://www.vice.com/en/article/4ag9wb/vital-coronavirus-information-is-failing-the-blind-and-visually-impaired)
{% enddetails %}