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The Wicked Problem of Accessibility

What is it?

This interdisciplinary course provides a comprehensive overview of the wicked problem of accessibility. Unlike ordinary problems, which are well-defined, self-contained, and come with a limited set of potential solutions, wicked problems resist definition, are mixed up with and compounded by other problems, and cannot be solved in a way that is simple or final. 

Accessibility, when viewed through this lens, can be identified as a wicked problem, as it requires interdisciplinary approaches to understand it, including social, political, technological, policy-oriented, scientific, and health related. When designing with accessibility in mind, what works for one group may not work for another. Developing and supporting accessible experiences, environments, and opportunities for people with disabilities requires substantive and interdisciplinary solutions.

Graduate students at the University of Waterloo are engaged in research that is advancing our understanding of - and developing solutions to - some of society’s most challenging problems. As part of the University’s strategic plans to develop talent for a complex world and focus on interdisciplinary scholarship, this initiative sees a team of PhD candidates come together to design, develop, and offer a course related to contemporary Wicked Problems. The course will be offered to upper-year undergraduate students from across the University to create a community of scholars, sharing different perspectives from the PhD candidate instructors and the learners in the classroom.

The Wicked Problem of Accessibility

The next pilot course, offered in spring 2025, will focus on the Wicked Problem of Accessibility. This topic will bring together research on accessibility, disability, and inclusivity as we explore interdisciplinary approaches to understand and create access for disabled individuals. 

Topics covered in this course may include: intersectionality and disability identities; historical and cultural representations of disability and accessibility; technological advances to support access and inclusion; integrating accessibility into the design of programs, buildings, cities, and community areas; considering physical, developmental, cognitive, and learning disabilities; mental health; social justice; policy development; the representation of accessibility and disability in media and literature; disability advocacy, among others. 

The intention of the Wicked Problem course is as follows: 

  • Each PhD candidate brings to the course disciplinary expertise; 

  • The teaching team receives mentorship and support with regard to course conception, design and integration by those with disciplinary and pedagogical expertise via the Centre for Teaching Excellence as part of a Teaching Innovation Incubator project; 

  • Collectively, the course creates an interdisciplinary construct that fosters learning and integration of knowledge, methods and ways of knowing that could not be achieved within a single disciplinary approach. 

History of the Wicked Problem Courses

The first pilot course took place in fall 2022 and addressed the Wicked Problems of Climate Change – you can look at the process, developed undergraduate course and symposium on the Wicked Problems of Climate Change page. The following pilot course, offered in spring 2024, focused on the Wicked Problem of Precarity: Living in an Uncertain World. This topic brought together research on poverty, homelessness, housing scarcity, and food insecurity, all of which are contributing to a future defined by precarity.

Why participate?

We know there are brilliant doctoral researchers across the University who are immersed in studying accessibility from interdisciplinary perspectives, addressing some of the above-mentioned broader themes. Many of these researchers may also welcome the opportunity to be part of an interdisciplinary teaching team that will provide undergraduate students with a classroom experience where the academic content spans disciplinary boundaries.

What will happen for the next pilot course?

The teaching team will spend part of the winter 2025 term designing the course by working with each other, completing asynchronous course design training, and receiving support from mentors in the Teaching Innovation Incubator. In the spring 2025 term, the instructor team will deliver the course to upper-year undergraduate students.

Graduate students will receive a full TAship in the spring term to teach the course, and will be paid for 30 hours of course development and design time in the winter term.

How to apply

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility ('who should apply'), including seeking approval for your involvement from your supervisor.

Step 2: Complete the online Interdisciplinary Wicked Problem course application form and upload your curriculum vitae (CV)

Who should apply?

  • You are a PhD candidate (has successfully completed the comprehensive exams)  who will be an active student in the winter 2025 and spring 2025 academic terms
  • You have approval from your academic supervisor(s) to participate in this course creation/delivery
  • You are conducting research that addresses accessibility from one or more of the following lenses:
    • Applied sciences
    • Health sciences
    • Social sciences
    • Engineering
    • Design
    • Physical, developmental, learning disabilities
    • Mental health
    • Representation of accessibility and disability in media/literature
    • Any other topic that addresses the wicked problem of accessibility

The intention is to select three doctoral student researchers, with diverse representation from across the university.

Important dates

  • Application deadline: Monday, November 18 by end of day – complete the application in full by this date.
  • Candidate notification deadline: Thursday, November 30 – notifications will be received by all applicants by this date.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee of Associate Deans, Graduate Studies, as well as an expert in accessibility. Selection of student instructors will occur in late November.

Questions? Please contact one of the following Associate Deans, Graduate Studies: Anna Esselment, or Brian Laird.

Read what past course instructors had to say about their time designing and teaching the Wicked Problem course:

Co-teaching this course was an extremely positive experience for me. Outside of the classroom, having a teaching team gave me the chance to run ideas by other instructors, get second opinions on my teaching style and content, and to get support when needed. In the classroom, co-teaching with another instructor made the classes feel more interesting and engaging from my perspective, and it added more diversity to the ideas that were discussed. Additionally, co-teaching allowed for a much better work-life balance, since we each took on specific tasks rather than having to handle everything ourselves.

What I found most valuable was the range of expertise and perspectives that the three of us brought to the course. This diversity significantly contributed to enhancing classroom management and supporting a wide variety of learners, especially in inclusive settings. It also fostered creativity, collaboration, and reflection as we exchanged ideas, strategies, and feedback.

This was the most in-depth teaching training I've received and gave me so many new insights into teaching (in addition to learning about the scholarship of teaching and learning). Overall, the training program was a really valuable, fulfilling, and worthwhile professional experience.

Teaching the Wicked Problem course has been profoundly enriching as I've learned to blend content from diverse disciplines, enhancing both my pedagogical and research approaches. The collaboration and mentorship I've received have allowed me to take big risks with teaching, to the benefit of our students, and have deepened my appreciation for tackling complex issues from multiple perspectives. It's been a truly transformative experience.

This experience really improved my sense of community and connection with the University of Waterloo. Joining this teaching team gave me the opportunity to meet graduate students from every faculty and staff members from the Centre for Teaching Excellence, and to work closely with them for the duration of the training program and course. Ultimately, through this experience I was able to make connections with other graduate students and UW community members, and learn more about UW initiatives, services, and departments.

Co-teaching provided many benefits. For example, I always had colleagues to plan and consult with. I didn't have to make decisions alone and I had people to ask when questions came up. There was an opportunity to divide the workload. I also got to learn from my colleagues, both in terms of their content expertise and their teaching styles. Teaching can often be a very insular experience, so co-teaching provided a nice change and a unique opportunity for collaboration.