Commentary: K-12 digital education must involve inclusion and accessible design

Rachel F. Adler, The Fulcrum on Dec 6, 2024

Published in Op Eds

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A new report highlights the urgent need to expand access to K-12 computer science education in the United States, as millions of students still lack these opportunities in a technology-driven world.

Only 60% of U.S. public high schools offer a foundational computer science course. While some underrepresented students lack access to these courses, others have access but are not enrolling. Students with disabilities, in particular, face significant barriers, such as inaccessible programming tools.

In this country, K-12 teachers need to introduce computer science concepts early in education and also discuss issues of inclusion and accessible design. An inclusive workplace benefits from the unique perspectives of people with disabilities.

However, while the work in integrating computer science is growing, only a few studies have introduced accessibility concepts to K-12 students. Accessibility needs to be a core component of K-12 computing education for computing to truly be inclusive. When teaching K-12 students about web and mobile application development, students can start to consider all potential users even at a young age.

For instance, ensuring that color is not the only means for conveying information can support someone who is colorblind, while having alternative text for images can support someone who is blind.

Teaching accessible design early can help students enter the workforce with a mindset that values inclusivity. Early accessibility education could positively impact students from underrepresented groups, by making computing feel more inclusive from the start.

As an associate professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, my recent research with students and a colleague demonstrates the promise of including accessibility topics in high school computing classrooms.

After learning about accessible design, high school students reported they had a greater intention to design accessibly in the future.

One student commented, “I didn't know much about disabilities like these before and now I know to make sure to include everyone in the things I create.”

In a subsequent project, conversations with students in grades two through eight revealed a lack of accessibility education. However, after introducing the concepts of software accessibility, students showed a noticeable increase in curiosity and a deeper understanding of the need for accessible design.

Research shows that taking computer science courses in high school increases the likelihood of students majoring in the field. Several schools across the country are expanding access to computing.

Coronado Schools were recently awarded a Department of Defense Education Activity $1.25 million grant to enhance computer science for grades K-12. NC State College of Education received a $9.1 million National Science Foundation grant to integrate cybersecurity into fourth and fifth grade math and science classes.

Yes, there are several federal funding programs, such as NSF Computer Science for All, aimed at expanding K-12 computer science education, which is promising. However, funding focused on accessibility education, particularly at the K-12 level, remains limited.

To be sure, time constraints and a lack of accessibility knowledge present challenges in an already packed curriculum for K-12 teachers.

However, the reward — a more inclusive future — is worth the effort. Increasing resources and professional development workshops for K-12 teachers could make a difference. These workshops could focus on practical skills through hands-on activities, introducing tools and guidelines, such as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

The workshops could also address the broader significance of accessibility by sharing real stories and demonstrating how accessible products benefit many people. For instance, closed captions are essential for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they also support people who may not speak the language fluently or are in noisy environments.

In addition to ensuring that every student in the U.S. learns computer science, policymakers, school administrators and tech industry partners need to prioritize the incorporation of accessibility too. Allocating resources and funding is essential to ensure that teachers receive the necessary training.

School administrators can advocate for the implementation of these critical skills within the curriculum. With these adjustments, it is possible to equip the next generation with the knowledge to design technology that is inclusive, rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought.

Prioritizing both computing and accessibility education in K-12 will pave the way for a diverse workforce ready to create technology that serves everyone.

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Adler is an associate professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a public voices fellow through The OpEd Project.

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