Accessible Design Curriculum: A Proof of Concept Project

Project Summary

Wayne State University's Enabling Technologies Laboratory (ETL) will develop curriculum material and educational modules that present the principles of accessible design.  Legal, market, and ethical imperatives establish the need for professionals involved with product and service design, management, and marketing to be knowledgeable of accessible design issues, principles, and resources.  However, there is a knowledge gap between what is currently required by the legal, market, and ethical imperatives, and the training and expertise level of the effected professionals.  University programs which train the effected professionals do not typically contain material on accessible design.

Engineering programs are under pressure to include new materials and also to reduce credit hour requirements. Hence, we propose to develop material that can be naturally integrated into existing courses.  Two project goals are specified. One, the need to develop curriculum material and educational modules that present the principles of accessible design in a manner that can be: 1) incorporated into existing university courses that train professionals who design, manage, or market products and services, and 2) used by industry to train their current workforce.  The second goal is to facilitate national awareness of the need for inclusion of accessible design issues and principles to faculty through workshops, short courses, and other forms of dissemination such as web based material.

Thus, by the end of the Proof-of-Concept phase, we will have established a team, developed a detailed, researched outline of the accompanying text on accessible design, instituted a plan for cross-disciplinary development of faculty, and prepared a second-phase proposal for development and implementation.

With respect to the NSF's Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program, the long term goals of this project will produce educational material for national distribution and implementation, and also facilitate national dissemination of the materials and practices by providing workshops, short courses, and presentations to promote the professional development of faculty.  The curriculum and educational material will utilize proven and effective pedagogical techniques and methods.