Applying Universal Design for Learning to Undergraduate Computer Science Education

Despite ongoing efforts to broaden participation in computer science (CS) education, disability remains an underexplored dimension of equity in undergraduate computing research. Advancing inclusion requires moving beyond retrofitted accommodations to reimagining how course structures themselves can enable or disable learners. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a research-based framework that proactively accounts for learner variability, has seen increasing adoption in K–12 and engineering education, but remains largely absent from undergraduate CS instruction. To address this gap, we conducted an IRB-approved mixed-methods study in the computer science department of a primarily undergraduate institution, involving faculty and student participants. Faculty were asked about their instructional practices, perceptions of flexibility, and familiarity with inclusive design principles. Students reflected on how course structures supported or hindered their learning, what barriers they faced, and the strategies they employed to succeed. Preliminary results reveal several consistent challenges, including rigid assessment formats, inaccessible course materials, and limited instructor awareness of neurodiversity and disability. We aim to expand this research across additional institutional contexts, using UDL as a critical lens to examine and reform undergraduate CS curricula.