Walking the Walk: Centering Students with Disabilities in Accessibility Education

While accessibility is an increasingly prominent topic in computer science curricula, little attention has been paid to the meta-challenge of making accessibility courses themselves truly inclusive. Such courses must be exemplars of the principles they teach, creating a welcoming environment for the students with disabilities these courses often attract. This paper presents the design of an undergraduate course on accessible computing developed from the ground up to be inclusive of students with disabilities. Drawing upon thematic analysis of reflective surveys from students, including a significant cohort of students with disabilities, and invited experts with disabilities, we highlight the pedagogical and structural elements that moved the course from a stance of reactive accommodation to one of proactive inclusion. We distill our findings into a set of actionable recommendations for educators on fostering an inclusive learning environment. These recommendations focus on three key areas: 1) implementing flexible course policies and assessments, 2) centering the lived experiences of people with disabilities throughout the curriculum, and 3) creating a classroom culture of shared vulnerability, respect, and empowerment.