ClassInfo

HCI 511 Accessibility Considerations in HCI

Oliver Alonzo

Office: CDM 703
Fall 2025-2026
Class number: 12838
Section number: 701
Tu 5:45PM - 9:00PM
CDM 00228 Loop Campus

Summary

In HCI 511, you will focus on diverse end users, and their technology-based needs and desires. Specifically, you will:

  • Examine how technology currently addresses the needs/desires of users with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, including people who are elderly
  • Consider new technologies and/or modifications to existing technologies that might better address these users' needs

Learning Objectives

The skills students obtain in this course include:

  • Demonstrate knowledge about the concepts surrounding inclusive design, e.g., assistive technologies, universal design and usability, and ability-based design
  • Communicate about the needs of diverse users, including people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities and/or people who have are elderly.
  • Articulate challenges of designing technology for the needs of users with physical and cognitive disabilities.
  • Analyze web pages for current standards of accessibility.



Texts

  • Movies:
    • When Billy Broke his Head (1995)
    • Sound and Fury (2002). You can watch it for free by signing up with a Docurama trial on Amazon (be sure to cancel after 7-days).
  • Optional Books: 
    • The Universal Access Handbook (Human Factors and Ergonomics) | Stephanidis, S., CRC Press, 2009 | ISBN: 978-0805862805
    • Pro HTML 5 Accessibility | Conner, J.O., Apress, 2012 | ISBN: 978-1430241942


Grading

Point Distribution

The grades for the assignments will be distributed as follows:

  • Individual Assignments (6 pts)
    • Bio: 0.5 pts
    • CITI Certificate: 0.5 pts
    • PDF Tutorial: 5 pts
  • Quizzes (5 pts)
    • Policy, Laws and History Quiz: 5 pts
  • Response Papers (10 pts)
    • When Billy Broke His Head: 4.5 pts
    • Discussion | Billy: 0.5 pts
    • Sound and Fury: 4.5 pts
    • Discussion | Sound and Fury: 0.5 pts
  • Web Accessibility Report (22 pts)
    • Site Selection: 1 pt
    • Paper: 15 pts
    • Presentation: 3 pts
    • Responses: 3 pts
  • Group Project (53 pts)
  • Participation (4 pts)

Overall Total: 100 pts

Letter Grade

The final letter grades will be assigned based on the total number of points obtained as follows:

  • A
    • A: 93–100  
    • A–: 90–92.9  
  • B
    • B+: 87–89.9  
    • B: 83–86.9  
    • B–: 80–82.9  
  • C
    • C+: 77–79.9  
    • C: 73–76.9  
    • C–: 70–72.9  
  • D
    • D+: 67–69.9  
    • D: 60–66.9  
  • F: below 59.9

 

 



Prerequisites

HCI 445 – User Research Methods



School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296