Fostering Accessible Design Skills with AI-Agents and Experiential Learning in Software Engineering Education
Accessibility remains underrepresented in undergraduate computing curricula, despite the critical importance of inclusive design in modern digital systems. This poster presents the experience of designing and facilitating an upper-level elective course in Accessible Software Engineering that 1) integrates accessibility principles, inclusive design practices, through web-based hands-on labs that utilize experiential learning, and 2) leverages AI agents — simulated AI agents representing diverse disabilities — to immerse students in empathetic, role-based learning experiences. These web-based experiential labs provide students with practical experience in developing accessible software while deepening their understanding of why accessibility is essential in software design. In these labs, through interactive, hands-on exercises, students learn to recognize the challenges caused by inaccessible software and apply effective strategies to design and improve applications that are inclusive for all users. The AI agent-based interactions enable students to understand and gather accessibility requirements for term project, directly from the perspective of users with visual, cognitive, learning, and motor impairments, fostering both technical mastery and human-centered awareness. This allowed students to transform theoretical accessibility standards into actionable design practices, bridging the gap between compliance and true inclusivity. Student experience feedback and project outcomes indicated significant growth in accessibility awareness, knowledge improvement, technical competence, and empathetic design. The course model demonstrates a pathway for filling curricular gaps in accessibility education, which will be discussed in this poster.