User-Unfriendly: Examining IEP User Experience

User experience, defined as perceptions and responses from product interaction, can influence educational technology efficacy. Software-generated digital and physical Individualized Education Program (IEP) documents represent a form of special education technology unexamined through a user experience framework. As students with disabilities who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) experience disproportionate educational outcomes, this study surveyed IEP user experiences of 54 parents/guardians and teachers of BIPOC students with disabilities across seven factors: accessibility, credibility, desirability, findability, usability, usefulness, and value. Three-cycle holistic qualitative analysis showed parents/guardians found IEPs lacking across all factors. While teachers shared similar negative perceptions, they described greater value and usefulness and did not include credibility. Findings underscore IEPs’ limited functionality as user-centered tools, highlighting the need for digital interface redesign. The discussion offers implications for software developers and special educators to improve IEP product user experience and advance technology-driven solutions toward more equitable student outcomes.