Science News in Brief

Group Pushes Vendors and Districts to Sign Computer Science Accessibility Pledge

By Benjamin Herold — September 11, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A leading group supporting the “computer science for all” push in schools wants vendors, investors, districts, and others to publicly commit to supporting improved accessibility for students with disabilities.

For vendors and developers, that means taking such steps such as putting captions on videos and ensuring compatibility with screen readers for visually impaired students, according to the nonprofit CSforALL Consortium. The pledge calls for curriculum developers to assess their existing tools, create an improvement plan, develop guidance on accessibility for educators, and make the issue a priority.

The Accessibility Pledge also asks districts and state education groups to focus on acquiring computer science content that is accessible and to provide teachers with professional development on supporting students with disabilities, among other steps.

And the pledge calls on corporations and foundations to ask themselves such questions as, “Is the program or content delivered accessible to students with a broad range of disabilities?”

So far, more than 40 vendors, school districts, and state departments of education have joined the pledge.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 12, 2018 edition of Education Week as Group Pushes Vendors and Districts to Sign Computer Science Accessibility Pledge

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Smarter Tools, Stronger Outcomes: Empowering CTE Educators With Future-Ready Solutions
Open doors to meaningful, hands-on careers with research-backed insights, ideas, and examples of successful CTE programs.
Content provided by Pearson
Reading & Literacy Webinar Supporting Older Struggling Readers: Tips From Research and Practice
Reading problems are widespread among adolescent learners. Find out how to help students with gaps in foundational reading skills.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Improve Reading Comprehension: Three Tools for Working Memory Challenges
Discover three working memory workarounds to help your students improve reading comprehension and empower them on their reading journey.
Content provided by Solution Tree

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Science Opinion Strategies to Help Students Embrace Science Instruction
Knowing how to redirect science denial in your classroom is a strong way to start.
9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Quiz
Quiz Yourself: Evaluating Effective Science Instruction in Your District
Answer 7 questions about evaluating effective science instruction in your district.
Science Opinion Science Scores Are Down. But We Know What Would Improve Them
The when, where, and how of science instruction needs rethinking.
Emma Banay, Christine Cunningham & James Ryan
4 min read
Flat vibrant vector illustration depicting science education and learning concept. Illustration is showing different ways of learning: listening, watching, observing, exploring, experimenting, asking questions, talking and communicating, reading, drawing, and writing. The female teacher is placed on the right side and there are also two pupils each one representing different theme; one girl asking question and learning by listening  and a boy holding a hand up to answer a question.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Science What's Behind the Drop in Students' Science Scores on NAEP?
Survey results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress show 8th graders do less scientific inquiry now than five years ago.
4 min read
Middle school students learn about the value and shape of matter while building containers to hold liquid during an 8th grade science class at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland on Oct. 24, 2024 in Baltimore, Md.
Eighth graders learn about the value and shape of matter while building containers to hold liquid during a science class at Boys’ Latin School of Maryland on Oct. 24, 2024, in Baltimore. Nationally, 8th graders lost ground in science, according to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week