Gallaudet University Launches a New PhD Program

Gallaudet University's Ph.D. in Accessible Human-Centered Computing and Policy (AHCP) program welcomed its first cohort in Spring 2026. The program prepares scholars and practitioners to lead in the design, development, and evaluation of technologies, policies, and systems that advance accessibility and inclusion. Building on Gallaudet's mission as the world's premier bilingual ASL–English institution serving deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, AHCP fuses computing and design with public policy, recognizing that meaningful accessibility requires both technical innovation and the regulatory and standards infrastructure to sustain it. 

Students complete at least 42 course credits and 15 dissertation research credits, for a total of 57 credits, over a four-to-six-year course of study, with coursework spanning accessible HCI, communication and information accessibility, accessibility standards (WCAG, Section 508, EN 301 549), interactive and data visualization design, and advanced research methods. Located in Washington, D.C., the program leverages proximity to federal agencies, industry partners, and advocacy organizations to support translational dissertation work aimed at real-world accessibility problems. 

The core faculty—Raja Kushalnagar, Christian Vogler, and Abraham Glasser, all AccessComputing community members—bring deep ties to the broader accessible computing research community, and the AHCP Ph.D. is positioned as a natural pipeline for graduates who will shape the next generation of accessible computing research, policy, and standards leadership.