Currently, there is an absence of UD education as a formal component of most engineering, design, public administration, business administration and marketing programs. Accreditation bodies such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) should work toward including UD in their curriculum requirements.

Improvements should not be limited to post-secondary degree programs. Business and professional associations should support professional in service training in UD and accessibility. Educating these groups about the benefits of and techniques for UD will involve incorporating UD concepts and principles in academic curriculum and industry training, adding UD requirements to the professional accreditation systems, and providing in-service professional training.

UD as a Collaborative Effort

PROBLEM: Thus far, accrediting bodies, government and academia have not regularly collaborated with regard to UD priorities. All professional groups with a vested interest in products that foster accessibility and widespread usability must be willing to work together to achieve the greatest possible outcomes.

B-1. RECOMMENDATION:

Industry professional organizations, accrediting bodies, government and academia should work collaboratively to ensure that UD is an accepted industry practice and an expected engineering skill.

UD in the Curriculum

PROBLEM: Currently there is an absence of UD education as a formal component of most engineering disciplines, or other relevant programs such as public administration, business administration and marketing. (These programs prepare professionals who supervise the work of designers and engineers and make major decisions about product development, marketing, physical infrastructure and other physical amenities.) UD curricula can significantly influence innovative technology solutions for accessibility.

UD in the curriculum would complement and support current training requirements for businesses and their designers who must understand the new Federal Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards.⁴¹

Business leadership is essential to achieving the goal of infusing UD into university curricula. As “purchasers” of the universities’ “product” — a.k.a. qualified engineers — industry has significant influence over both universities and private accrediting organizations. If businesses were to inform universities that they would prioritize the recruitment and retention of engineers proficient in UD, curriculum changes would quickly follow to accommodate such a need.

B-2. RECOMMENDATION:

Colleges and universities should infuse UD concepts and principles into the curricula of their programs, including engineering, public administration, business administration, marketing and design.

• This initiative should encompass all engineering programs, including industrial designers, landscape architects, electrical/computer engineers, mechanical engineers, packaging and other kinds of engineers;
   
• This initiative should also include business schools, law schools and schools of public policy;
   
• Companies with an interest in engineering personnel preparation should communicate to colleges, universities, and accrediting agencies consensus recommendations regarding skill sets for UD of consumer products, and,
   
• Universities in partnership with associations and others should have the lead in developing curricula. Government should consider a grant program to encourage curriculum development.

Updating the curriculum will have several consequences. Incorporating UD into the curriculum will require curricula and textbook development, as well as training of faculty on principles of UD. To train engineering faculty, colleges and universities could make available in-service training and provide travel funds and registration-fee reimbursement for faculty members so that they may learn about UD.

UD in the Accreditation System

Colleges and universities offering degrees in various disciplines seek accreditation by accrediting bodies. In general, the accreditation systems do not currently require standards for UD.

Schools of engineering seek accreditation by such bodies as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).⁴² Since industry is a primary customer for academia and has yet to articulate educational expectations relative to UD, ABET does not now require the inclusion of UD principles in their curriculum recommendations. Therefore, colleges and universities have little incentive to do so. ABET has incorporated into its accreditation assessment metrics an evaluation of student exposure to such items as “ethics,” “social impact of design,” “design and product realization,” “engineering and basic science,” and many others, although, not yet, UD.

Similar to engineering schools, colleges and universities offering degrees in public administration, public policy and public affairs seek accreditation by such bodies as the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). Because NASPAA (like ABET) does not now require the inclusion of assistive design principles in their accredited programs, colleges and universities have little incentive to do so. NASPAA is especially well-suited to spearhead this effort because it sponsors an annual conference, offers doctoral program directors’ workshops and supports a national honor society in public affairs and administration. Public administrators should play a greater role in positively influencing UD policy.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is the accreditation organization for business schools.⁴³ Although currently no requirements for courses related to accessibility are incorporated into business school programs, some business specializations could benefit from an accessibility perspective such as marketing, management information systems, product development, human resources, etc.

B-3. RECOMMENDATION:

UD requirements should be added to the accreditation systems of all professions that affect the design, marketing and support of technology-based products. Working collaboratively with industry and professional societies, accreditation societies such as ABET, NASPAA, and AACSB should develop educational requirements in UD for their disciplines and incorporate those requirements into the curricular recommendations of college and university programs.

UD in Professional Training

PROBLEM: Business and professional associations can also influence the training of engineers and other professionals working in industry and academia, as well as communicate to colleges and universities the importance of incorporating UD into curricula. So far, business and professional organizations have not made such demands on colleges and universities and the current work force.

B-4. RECOMMENDATION:

UD requirements should be integrated into professional in-service training. Starting with private and corporate foundations, funds should be devoted to support professional in-service training in UD as a fundamental component of design and business practices. Private industry should incorporate UD principles into their in-house training programs.