Electrical engineering classes are full of drawing, diagrams, and designing. Unfortunately, this also makes coursework challenging for blind and low-vision (BLV) learners.

In a recent study, Stanford researchers worked together with the first blind student to enroll in ENGR 40M, an introductory electrical engineering course, to create a detailed account of how the student navigated the class. By comparing the student’s experiences in the class to those of sighted students, the researchers identified accessibility gaps as well as solutions to reduce those barriers for BLV students. The work won the Best Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Paper award at the 2024 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) conference.

Understanding hurdles in electrical engineering

Previous research has found that engineering students with disabilities report feeling ostracized, while also lacking role models and adequate support to accomplish learning objectives. And while BLV students often opt for computer science because it’s more accessible with the use of tools such as screen readers, many programs still require introductory coursework in electrical engineering.

One such introductory class is ENGR 40M, a hands-on course in which students learn to design, build, and test electronics including a solar charger and electrocardiogram. In 2022, Trisha Kulkarni, now a master’s student in computer science at Stanford, became the first blind student to complete the course. Aya Mouallem, a PhD candidate in electrical engineering, teamed up with Kulkarni to better understand accessibility hurdles in the course through a retrospective analysis.

Kulkarni reflected on each week of coursework by preparing journal entries on the challenging and rewarding aspects of the lessons. Over six months, Kulkarni and Mouallem met weekly, reviewing the journal entries and delving into more detail on how Kulkarni learned concepts from the course. They noted what tools and methods proved most effective in learning as well as where accessibility was lacking.

Prior to working with Kulkarni, Mouallem had surveyed 42 sighted students taking the course, asking them to write similar reflections on class challenges and rewards. Through a comparison of their experiences to Kulkarni’s, Mouallem analyzed which lessons were daunting for all students, and which aspects were especially difficult for BLV learners. Both Kulkarni and the sighted students found the course challenging at times, says Mouallem, “but in Trisha’s case, the challenging experiences often came from a point of inequity.”

Designing and simulating circuits was particularly difficult. Building circuits requires handling a soldering iron – which is dangerous if you can’t see the hot, melting solder – and awareness of a spatial layout that can be very complex. Meanwhile, digital simulators depict circuit performance as waves and curves – representations incompatible with a screen reader.

Additionally, while most of the students found transistors challenging to grasp, “we discovered that Trisha had different mental models of how the component looks on paper, how it physically looks, and then how it operates,” says Mouallem. “So Trisha was trying to handle three mental models of the same component that sighted students just used one mental model for.”

Improving accessibility in engineering education

The paper also describes learning methods that worked better for Kulkarni. For example, while she received Braille printouts detailing concepts, she reported that the combination of talking through those concepts with lab instructors and using hand-drawing – having instructors draw with their finger on her palm – was more effective.

Based on this account, the researchers identified recommendations to improve engineering education for BLV students in the future, including feedback on specific tools. For example, one software program used in the class was not accessible to screen readers, but other compatible alternatives can be used by BLV students. Teachers can also ensure their presentation visuals include alt text and describe their slides during lectures.

The researchers also had recommendations for how educational teams can improve the overall experience for BLV students. For example, disability officers and lab managers can work together before the class starts to identify accessible options for lab exercises – some extra preparation ahead of the course can go a long way. Overall, the goal is for the educational team’s collaboration to create an environment that allows the BLV student to achieve the class learning outcomes, says Mouallem. “Our recommendations range from very specific tasks to double-checking that the whole system is working, motivating, and supporting the BLV learner.”

But accessibility tools shouldn’t be fail-safe, says Kulkarni. “We want to create tools that level the experience rather than hand blind students the answer.”

When making accommodations, educators should look into what resources other teams have already created, adds Kulkarni. “When it comes to accessible soldering, for example, there have been workshops and resources created to teach non-visual soldering, but at the time I took this course, they were not introduced to me and I did not have time to learn,” she says. “Part of improving the experience for BLV learners is not reinventing the wheel but building on foundational research.”

The work shows where BLV accommodations in engineering education are lacking, as well as the benefit of working closely with those students to determine solutions, says Sheri Sheppard, professor emerita of engineering and coauthor of the paper. “You really need to design with them and have them at the table, reviewing ideas, offering ideas, and offering hard feedback.”

The research has informed Mouallem’s work on building engineering education tools for BLV students. Together with undergraduate researchers Mirelys Mendez-Pons and Trini Rogando, she designed blocks that represent the components of a circuit, with Braille and symbols for resistors, batteries, and wires. The blocks can be arranged on a grid to build a circuit. Then, a computer program queries the student on the location of the blocks and translates the physical design into a simulation. The system allows BLV students to design, test, and debug circuits – a process that was previously inaccessible.

Mouallem’s designs are all open-source and can be reproduced with a 3D printer, making them available to other educators. Still, she adds that there’s a lot more to be done to develop accessible tools. “One of the cool takeaways from this paper is that we identified so many areas that need work,” she says. “We have a lot more problems to figure out how to solve. I’m looking forward to doing that.”

Related: Sheri Sheppard, professor emerita of engineering