Weekly Schedule
Week 1: Introduction to Capstone
Sep 28 2026 (Week 1): Introduction to Capstone
Assignments:
- I: Project Preference Out: Wednesday Due: Fri. 10/2
Wednesday: Discussion of Course and Project Mentor Presentations
2:30pm Quick Introduction and brief overview of Higher Ed accessibility – why it’s challenging, what it encompasses, why we are focusing on it.
3:00pm Project mentors pitch their project ideas
Week 2: First person accounts and Interviewing
Oct 05 2026 (Week 2): First person accounts and Interviewing
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) First Teamwork Reflection Out: Monday Due: Wed. 10/7
- I: (Quickcheck) Evaluating First Person Accounts Out: Wednesday Due: Fri. 10/9
- I: First Person Accounts for Milestone 0 Out: Wednesday Due: Week 3, Mon. 10/12
Projects:
- G: Milestone 0: Problem Blurb, First-Person Research & Draft Consent Form Out: Wednesday Due: Week 3, Mon. 10/12
- G: Milestone 1 Consent Forms Out: Wednesday Due: Week 4, Mon. 10/19
- Readings and Reflections :
- Creating Space to Succeed: How AccessComputing Supports Disabled Students’ Computing Pathways (
accesscomputing.pdfin Canvas); Anticipate and Adjust; AEIOU Framework - Optional Readings :
- The Impact of Access Computing
Monday: AccessComputing and Group Formation
Guest Lecture by Richard Ladner, followed by group formation exercises.
Wednesday: Guest lecture by Aashaka Desai
First person accounts, AEIOU, and interviewing
Week 3: AEIOU Analysis and Storyboarding
Oct 12 2026 (Week 3): AEIOU Analysis and Storyboarding
Assignments:
- I: First Person Accounts for Milestone 0 Due: Mon. 10/12
Projects:
- G: Milestone 0: Problem Blurb, First-Person Research & Draft Consent Form Due: Mon. 10/12
- G: Milestone 1: Design Concept Out: Wednesday Due: Week 4, Mon. 10/19
- Readings and Reflections :
- Ten Principles of Disability Justice; Challenging ableism: A critical turn toward disability justice in hci
Monday: Disability/Disability Justice
- Syllabus
- Design/Disability Justice
- Group checkins on consent form and interviewing plan
Wednesday: Storyboarding and Lofi Prototyping
Week 4: Milestone 1: Group Work & Demo Day
Oct 19 2026 (Week 4): Milestone 1: Group Work & Demo Day
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) Second Teamwork Reflection Out: Monday Due: Wed. 10/21
Projects:
- G: Milestone 1: Design Concept Due: Mon. 10/19
- G: Milestone 1 Consent Forms Due: Mon. 10/19
- G: Milestone 2: Prototype & Architecture Out: Thursday Due: Week 6, Mon. 11/2
- Readings and Reflections :
- Making Hackfests/Hack Events Accessible (
hackathons.pdfin Canvas); (ALT: If you prefer video) Hackathons, Student Projects, and Digital Accessibility Ethics
Monday: Group meetings: User Research Checkin (with Jen & Lucille)
Wednesday: Milestone 1 Presentation of Design Concept
Each subgroup gives focused feedback on 2-3 teams’ concepts after demos of each team’s problem framing, AEIOU analysis, and design concept. Mentors present.
Week 5: Accessible Prototyping & WCAG
Oct 26 2026 (Week 5): Accessible Prototyping & WCAG
- Readings and Reflections :
- Teach Access Tutorial: Writing Code; WCAG Beginners' Guide (the criteria you will check in your VPAT)
- Optional Readings :
- Beginners' Guide to Accessibility Testing
Monday: WCAG for Milestone 2: Alt Text, Contrast & the VPAT (Draft)
Wednesday: Checkins & Group work
Week 6: Sprint
Nov 02 2026 (Week 6): Sprint
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) Third Teamwork Reflection Out: Thursday Due: Week 7, Mon. 11/9
Projects:
- G: Milestone 2: Prototype & Architecture Due: Mon. 11/2
- G: Milestone 3: Study & Accessibility Findings Out: Thursday Due: Week 8, Mon. 11/16
- G: Milestone 3 Study Consent Forms Out: Thursday Due: Week 8, Mon. 11/16
- Readings and Reflections :
- What’s the purpose of software architecture diagramming?; Designing software architectures to facilitate accessible Web applications (
ieee.pdfin Canvas) - Optional Readings :
- Visualising Software Architecture: Why It’s Important and How I Do It
Monday: WCAG for Milestone 3: Keyboard, Focus & Headings (Draft) and How to Run a Think-Aloud (Draft)
Wednesday: Milestone 2 Demo Day — Prototype & Architecture
Week 7: Study Sessions & Implementation
Nov 09 2026 (Week 7): Study Sessions & Implementation
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) Third Teamwork Reflection Due: Mon. 11/9
- Readings and Reflections :
- Accessible Lo Fi Testing
Monday: Accessibility Stack for Implementers (Draft), then check-ins (bring your study protocol and consent form)
Run your 2-3 study sessions this week.
Wednesday NO CLASS: Veterans day
Week 8: Study Findings & Final VPAT
Nov 16 2026 (Week 8): Study Findings & Final VPAT
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) Fourth Teamwork Reflection Out: Thursday Due: Week 9, Mon. 11/23
Projects:
- G: Milestone 3: Study & Accessibility Findings Due: Mon. 11/16
- G: Milestone 3 Study Consent Forms Due: Mon. 11/16
- G: Milestone 4: Final Concept & VPAT Out: Thursday Due: Week 10, Mon. 11/30
Monday: WCAG for Milestone 4: Resizing, Reflow & the Rest (Draft), then check-ins while you audit your own project
Wednesday: Milestone 3 Demo Day — Study & Accessibility Findings
5-minute public readouts of each team’s study findings to the class and project mentors.
Week 9: Audit Walkthroughs & Poster Design
Nov 23 2026 (Week 9): Audit Walkthroughs & Poster Design
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) Fourth Teamwork Reflection Due: Mon. 11/23
Projects:
- G: Final Poster and Presentation Out: Monday Due: Week 11, Mon. 12/7
- Readings and Reflections :
- Creating an Accessible Poster
Monday: Making an Accessible Poster (Draft) and Individual Accessibility Audit walkthroughs
Wednesday: No class (Thanksgiving)
Your poster is due the morning of Monday, Dec 7 (Week 11), so that course staff can print it that day. See Final Poster and Presentation.
Week 10: Final Sprint
Nov 30 2026 (Week 10): Final Sprint
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) Fifth Teamwork Reflection Out: Thursday Due: Week 11, Fri. 12/11
Projects:
- G: Milestone 4: Final Concept & VPAT Due: Mon. 11/30
Monday: Group Work (final build/polish time)
Wednesday: Milestone 4 Demo Day — Final Concept & VPAT
Week 11: Final Presentations
Dec 07 2026 (Week 11): Final Presentations
Assignments:
- I: (Quickcheck) Fifth Teamwork Reflection Due: Fri. 12/11
Projects:
- G: Final Poster and Presentation Due: Mon. 12/7