In this paper, I discuss the challenges and benefits of taking a “disability studies first” approach to teaching an introductory level course in computer science. The course, currently under development to be taught in Spring 2005, will focus on the design and implementation of web content accessible to the visually impaired.
Although accessible web design is a concern in conventional courses on web programming, it is usually taught as an additional topic ancilliary to the primary content of the course. Making it central to the course should impress upon students the importance of web accessibility. By using a disability studies approach, I hope to engage students both cognitively and emotively: they will understand why accessibility is important as well as feel empathy for the visually impaired. My theory is that this will motivate students to expend the additional effort required to implement accessible web content as they continue their web programming endeavors beyond the classroom. Further, I believe that students who have learned web design from an accessibility approach will implement higher-quality websites than those who have not.
I conclude with some reflections on the justification of this latter claim and the extent to which this approach can be duplicated in other courses in computer science and other disciplines.
[ Return to Brian Rosmaita’s Homepage ]
Brian J. Rosmaita <contact me>