Code.org’s Commitment to Accessibility

Code.org believes computer science is foundational for all students and we are committed to equity, access, and opportunity in our organizational values. To achieve this goal, we work to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent the inclusion and full participation of students and educators with disabilities.

We are working on a holistic strategy to support accessibility throughout our platform. Our vision is to close gaps in access to computer science education for students with disabilities; establish a measure of learning and inclusion; and make improvements to our tools based on this data—while incorporating feedback from our stakeholders to support the learning needs of all students.

Code.org is committed to continually improving the accessibility of our tools. As of October 2020, Code.org is not yet compliant with WCAG 2.0 Level A. In 2021, we are focusing on creating a holistic strategy for addressing accessibility support, as well as investing in high impact improvements we identify along the way. Our long-term plan toward compliance is detailed below.

Our Efforts

Hour of Code

Current Accommodations:

K-12 Curriculum

Current Accommodations:

Microsoft Immersive Reader icon

Text to Speech icon

Show Notes Tab

Advocacy

Workplace

Our Partners and Recommendations

Code.org has partnered with AccessCSForAll to provide an adaptation of our AP Computer Science Principles curriculum using Quorum, an evidence-based language originally designed to provide accessibility for blind or visually-impaired students. Individual lessons in the course were modified to use alternative interactive tools from Quorum and “unplugged” activities to provide support for people with various disabilities.

Additionally, we recommend the following resources for students with disabilities in computer science and their teachers:

Name Organization Type Recommended Grades Description
AccessCSForAll Content Provider K-12 An organization that provides resources for teachers bringing accessible computing to secondary schools and for high school students with disabilities to connect with mentors in the technology space.
Blocks4All Product Provider K-8 A block-based programming environment for the iPad to help you learn basic programming concepts. It is accessible with VoiceOver, Switch Control, and Voice Control. It was designed by a research group at Macalester College. The app requires the Dash robot in order to run, but the research group is not affiliated with Wonder Workshop.
Code Jumper Product Provider K-6 A physical coding aid/resource for students with visual impairments.
CSForAll Content Provider K-12 Spearheading projects and programs with different organizations across the United States.
Deaf Kids Code Curriculum Provider K-12 An organization that promotes computer science and technology education to empower students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Everyone Can Code Product Provider K-12 A curriculum designed by Apple for Swift Playgrounds that provides VoiceOver (modified TTS) and adapted curriculum for students with accessibility needs.
Khan Academy Content Provider K-12 Hosts a Code.org curriculum about Computers and the Internet, as well as other computing curricula with various accommodations, including the ability to reduce animation motion, captions, transcripts, and the ability to hide visually dependent content.
Snap Circuits Product Provider K-6 An educational product that teaches electronics with solderless snap-together electronic components. Can include an access pack for students with visual impairments.
Sphero Product Provider K-12 An interactive coding robotic ball & STEM education kit for students with intellectual disabilities. Needs to be paired with an appropriate application.

Let Us Know How We Can Improve

At Code.org, we are agile and responsive to feedback. If you have recommendations to help us improve the accessibility of our tools and resources, please reach out to our support team. Thank you for helping us make computer science available for all students.