Winter 2026
Let’s talk about accessibility
Learning community partnership and action research toward co-creating more inclusive digital content
Led by Laura Jo Swartley with guidance from Dr. Arpita
This is an opportunity for any HCDE student (UG, MS, or Ph.D.) and any and all staff and faculty interested in participating in community-based approaches to learning systems problems, or specifically in co-designing toward new ADA digital accessibility compliance affecting all learning content (and many teaching staff workloads).
We live in a learning community, but we are impacted by university systems in different ways…
This DRG asks: Can we resist walking away from tensions and difficulties in addressing learning systems problems, and instead become grounded in relationship-based practices toward co-creating solutions?
Our DRG Design Case Study
New ADA Title II requirements mandate accessible digital materials across higher education, impacting faculty, staff, and students in different ways. A student-generated design prototype for improving the overall experience of teaching faculty and assistants in the process of making learning materials truly accessible promotes a significant student-engagement or partnership approach.
In this DRG, we will engage in dialogue around design ideas while inviting shared exploration of the tensions, opportunities, and lived experiences of all involved. We will practice methods from action, community-based research traditions and learning community partnership practices with the goal to generate layered, mutual learning and benefit as well as design ideas.
Our Questions
- How can we turn accessibility compliance tensionality into opportunity for human-centered design that builds conscious community around shared learning and response-ability*?
- How can we create system solutions rooted in relationships and holistic problem-solving?
- How can we engage students in hands-on accessibility work to expand UW's support capacity while building a culture of inclusive teaching?
*Donna Haraway, Staying with the Trouble (2016)
Enrollment information
- Meeting time: Mondays, 4 p.m.
- Credits: 1-2 credits
- For 1 credit, students might participate in dialogue and short reading / prototype discussions alongside researchers and educators
- For 2 credits, students can participate in co-analysis of our conversations toward insights into relational and responsive ways of approaching digital accessibility efforts and other whole-learning community needs
- This DRG does count toward the research requirement for PhD students.
- Who should apply: Students interested in inclusive design and research; digital and overall learning accessibility and accommodations practices; lived experience-based, action, and community-based research methods; partnership and collaboration theory; and/or generally in being a part of a dialogic learning community are welcome!
- To apply: Please fill out the Google Form
- Application deadline: Dec. 17, 2025
- Anticipated notification deadline: Dec. 23, 2025
- Questions? Please email Laura Jo Swartley SWARTL@uw.edu
Winter 2026
STEM Outreach: Alternative Spring Break
HCDE is collaborating with UW’s Riverways Education Program for STEM Alternative Spring Break 2026. We are recruiting a team of 3-4 HCDE students to lead a STEM outreach workshop for K-12 students in Curlew School, in Curlew, WA during Spring break from March 22- March 27, 2026.
The team is expected to:
- Attend a preparatory seminar in Winter 2025 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30-5:50 pm organized by UW Riverways (details here). The learning goals of this seminar include culturally responsive teaching and universal design for learning (poster on the curriculum).
- Develop the curriculum based on what they learn in the seminar, iterate on HCDE’s past curriculum, and lead the workshop in Curlew School.
- Conduct workshops using this curriculum in local K-12 public schools or Seattle Public Library during Winter quarter.
UW organizers will be managing students’ lodging and expenses for the work. You will also have opportunities to explore and learn about the community through events.
Watch this video made by our amazing team of students – Lily Yang, Lien Nguyen, Ava Lim, and Lanyi Zhu – who taught during ASB 2024 in Neah Bay High School to learn about their experience.
Enrollment information
- Seminar time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30-5:50 pm.
- Additional meeting time will be determined based on students’ availability
- Credits & resources:
- HCDE Undergraduate students can register for 2 credits for HCDE 496 as it can count towards the experiential learning requirement.
- HCDE Master’s students can register for 2 credits for HCDE 596.
- This DRG does not count toward the research requirement for PhD students.
- Who should apply: We are looking for enthusiastic students at all levels (BS, MS, PhD) who are passionate about leading STEM activities with K-12 students and are able to consistently show up and honor time commitments for in-person teamwork and teaching at schools.
- Eligible students should be familiar with the user centered design process, and have taken or are currently taking HCDE 302 (BS), 318 (BS), or 518 (MS).
- Experience working with, teaching, or mentoring K-12 students is helpful for this work.
- To apply: Please submit your resume and explain your interest, qualifications, and availability for the work on this Google Form. Rolling deadline until spots are filled.
- Application deadline: Nov 15, 2025 (rolling deadline)
- There will be an interview process to select candidates so, please apply as early as you can.
- Questions? Contact Arpita B at arpitab@uw.edu.