Teaching Digital Accessibility in Computing Education: Views of Educators in India

TL;DR

This study investigates the perceptions and barriers faced by Indian computing educators in teaching digital accessibility, highlighting the need for training and resources to improve accessibility education in the Global South.

Contribution

It replicates surveys from the US and Switzerland in the Indian context and provides qualitative insights into faculty perceptions and challenges in teaching accessibility.

Findings

Few CS faculty teach accessibility.

Main barriers include lack of training and awareness.

Faculty desire more resources and pedagogical support.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been rising interest from both governments and private industry in developing software that is accessible to all, including people with disabilities. However, the computer science (CS) courses that ought to prepare future professionals to develop such accessible software hardly cover topics related to accessibility. While there is growing literature on incorporating accessibility topics in computing education in the West, there is little work on this in the Global South, particularly in India, which has a large number of computing students and software professionals. In this replication report, we present (A) our findings from a replication of surveys used in the US and Switzerland on who teaches accessibility and barriers to teaching accessibility and (B) a qualitative analysis of perceptions of CS faculty in India about digital accessibility and teaching accessibility. Our study corroborates the findings of the earlier surveys: very few CS faculty teach accessibility, and the top barriers they perceive are the same. The qualitative analysis further reveals that the faculty in India need training on accessibility concepts and disabilities sensitization, and exposure to existing and ongoing CS education research and pedagogies. In light of these findings, we present recommendations aimed at addressing these challenges and enhancing the integration of accessibility into computing education.