Blockly Accessibility Fund

Blockly Accessibility Fund is sponsored by Google.org. A $5 million fund dedicated to expanding inclusive computer science education efforts, supporting organizations that promote accessibility in coding education for diverse learners.

Blockly v13. 0. 0 is available now!

Read the announcement → Projects and partnerships Blockly is commited to developing inclusive tools that help all students succeed, including those with disabilities. Expanding access for students with disabilities Blockly is commited to developing inclusive tools that help all students succeed, including those with disabilities.

Explore the academic, edtech, and accessibility organizations that are working with Blockly to co-create solutions that make coding accessible for all, with support from Google. org. Develop an accessible sequence of Code.

org's Music Lab Samantha Schwartz and Emily Eastlake Code. org is creating an accessible version of their block-based Music Lab environment to bridge the gap for the 15% of K-12 students with accessibility needs. This project aims to improve access to computer science education for these students and pave the way for future accessible learning labs.

Developing self-paced learning courses on assistive technology devices for block-based programming Zero Day Camp is creating free online courses for educators and students with physical disabilities to learn how to code using Blockly with assistive technology. They plan to develop courses, a forum, and consultations to bridge the gap in CS education for these students.

Create an accessible programming app based on icon blocks (horizontal programming) Sistema THEAD is developing a new web application based on Blockly to make it accessible for students with disabilities. This app will be customizable, integrate with Scratch Tactile physical blocks, and offer features for students with various needs. It aims to promote inclusion and provide an accessible learning environment for all students.

Create an American Sign Language video library to complement key words associated with block-based programming Deaf Kids Code is creating an American Sign Language (ASL) video glossary for key Blockly terms. This resource will be shared with deaf educators and students to improve accessibility in computer science education.

Develop and test eye gaze interfaces for block coding platforms K McNaught Consulting Ltd This project aims to develop eye gaze interfaces for block coding platforms to allow students with severe physical disabilities to learn and explore coding using eye control. This research will also provide a testing ground for MakeCode's expanding set of accessibility features from the perspective of eye gaze users.

Make robotics programming more accessible with a new controller Danny Diaz and Kevin O'Connor For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) FIRST Robotics is developing a new robot controller with Blockly-based programming. This will make robot programming more accessible and intuitive, especially for students with no coding experience. It could benefit over 250,000 students by 2027.

Making Accessibility Accessible: Training Modules for Educators Code in the Schools (CITS) This project aims to develop online training modules to help educators understand and utilize Blockly's accessibility features. This will empower educators to provide more inclusive and accessible computer science education for students with disabilities.

Improve accessibility of block-based interfaces through enhanced screen reader support The Neil Squire Society is working to improve the accessibility of Blockly for students with disabilities. They are enhancing screen reader support, integrating ARIA attributes, and addressing challenges for users with limited dexterity. This will enable more students to engage with coding education and develop STEM skills.

Empower autistic students to program collaboratively Carnegie Mellon University The Collaborative Blockly project aims to help autistic students learn to program collaboratively by providing scaffolded support and tools for managing social interactions and cognitive load. This will enable them to work effectively in group settings and develop essential collaboration skills.

Improve the accessibility of the Scratch platform Kevin Bedeau and Kate Littlefield The Scratch Foundation will enhance the accessibility of the Scratch platform by adding keyboard navigation throughout the Scratch editor and community site, improving screen reader compatibility, and prototyping experimental speech control for coding.

Improve the accessibility of App Inventor and Blockly This project aims to improve accessibility in App Inventor, a block-based coding platform. It will contribute to the Blockly community by improving the core, creating plugins, and providing feedback.

Professional development for K–5 teachers to tailor the POUR principles to their use cases Andrew Bennett and Dr. Maya Israel This project aims to train K-5 teachers on using the POUR principles to make Blockly more accessible for students. Teachers will receive professional development, iPads, and robots to implement and evaluate accessibility features in their classrooms.

Improve the coding experience in Blockly through code navigation and audio cues University of North Texas This project aims to make block-based programming more accessible for students who are blind or visually impaired. By developing features like keyboard navigation and audio cues, the project seeks to improve code navigation and understanding in the Blockly programming tool.

Research and training for developers to drive WCAG compliance for block-based coding University of Nevada, Las Vegas This joint project aims to increase accessibility of Blockly, a block-based programming tool, for users with disabilities. By providing training resources and documentation on WCAG regulations, the project aims to help developers create more inclusive Blockly products.

Conduct user research to support development of accessibility features and improve the accessibility of the user experience in MakeCode Micro:bit Educational Foundation This project will provide user feedback from experts, teachers and students during the development of accessibility features to ensure coding platforms like Blockly and MakeCode are easier for students with dexterity difficulties and visual impairments to use.

By improving keyboard navigation and screen reader support the project will empower these students to learn coding and contribute to the digital workforce. Dive into the Blockly accessibility community forum to ask questions and share ideas.

Go to accessibility forum Codelabs Samples and Demos Blockly Summit Talks Community Forum Contribute to Blockly Report an Issue Blockly is an open source project of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK registered charity (1129409), supported by Google.