2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Beyond Swipe and Tap: Cultivating Mobile Accessibility Awareness and Knowledge in Computing Disciplines

Presented at Computers in Education Division (COED) Track 4.E

People with disabilities face challenges when interacting with inaccessible mobile devices and applications. Educating next-generation software designers about mobile accessibility is important to ensure software accessibility. In this paper, we designed games to teach mobile accessibility, particularly concerning blindness, low vision, and physical impairment, based on formative interviews with blind people and people with dexterity impairments. We then tested the games with 45 undergraduate students in two US institutions to explore possible approaches to teaching mobile accessibility. Our results confirmed the lack of mobile accessibility education in the current computing curriculum, leading to students’ limited awareness regarding mobile accessibility. Positive changes in the students in terms of accessibility awareness, attitudes, and knowledge were observed after playing the games. The students appraised our game-based approach as insightful, experiential, and engaging, potentially bridging the gap in teaching mobile accessibility. Our research sheds light on extending accessibility education in computing disciplines to mobile contexts.

Authors

Dr. Kyrie Zhixuan Zhou University of Texas at San Antonio [biography]

Kyrie Zhixuan Zhou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research interests are broadly in Human-centered AI, AI Ethics, Computer Accessibility, and Human-Computer Interaction. He aspires to promote software and AI experience of vulnerable populations through a situated understanding as well as design, education, and governance interventions.
Chunyu Liu University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Chunyu Liu is a PhD student in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests are broadly in Human-Computer Interaction, Human-centered AI, Health and Well-being, and Social Computing. She is particularly interested in designing applications for and with people with accessibility needs.
Yunqi Li University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Yunqi Li is a graduate student in the Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research interests lie in human-computer interaction (HCI), with a focus on leveraging front-end development technologies to support and enhance research activities.
Devorah Kletenik Brooklyn College, City University of New York [biography]

Devorah Kletenik is an Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of City University of New York (CUNY). Her research interests include computer science education, software accessibility, and serious games -- and often all three combined. She aims to enrich how people learn computing, interact with technology, and engage with purposeful digital experiences.
Rachel F. Adler University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Rachel F. Adler is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she co-directs the Information Experience and Accessibility Lab. Her research interests are in human-computer interaction, accessibility, and computing education. She is particularly interested in designing applications for and with people with disabilities and accessibility education.

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