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
Special Education Webinar
Bridging the Math Gap: What’s New in Dyscalculia Identification, Instruction & State Action
Discover the latest dyscalculia research insights, state-level policy trends, and classroom strategies to make math more accessible for all.
Content provided by TouchMath
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
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Belonging as a Leadership Strategy for Today’s Schools
Belonging isn’t a slogan—it’s a leadership strategy. Learn what research shows actually works to improve attendance, culture, and learning.
Content provided by Harmony Academy
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
School & District Management Webinar
Too Many Initiatives, Not Enough Alignment: A Change Management Playbook for Leaders
Learn how leadership teams can increase alignment and evaluate every program, practice, and purchase against a clear strategic plan.
Content provided by Otus

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 From Our Research Center Nearly Half of Teens Can’t Identify What Causes Climate Change. Why That Matters
Climate change is affecting many industries and students need a basic understanding of the concept to succeed in those fields, experts say.
7 min read
Scientists say that climate change makes storms like hurricanes more destructive. This 2022 aerial view of Fort Myers Beach, Fla. shows the aftermath of Hurricane Ian which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane.
In this aerial view, heavily damaged mobile homes are seen in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., a month after Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in 2022, causing an estimated $67 billion in insured losses. Experts say climate change is leading to more hurricanes and floods.
Paul Hennessy/Sipa via AP
Science Making Time for Science in Kindergarten Could Have a Big Payoff
When teachers in grades P-1 received high-quality curriculum and PD in science, students' scores rose, a new meta-analysis finds.
4 min read
First graders take a closer look at bees during a class lesson.
First graders take a closer look at bees during a class lesson. Science is often neglected in the early grades, but new research suggests that young students who are exposed early to science instruction do better on science exams—potentially setting them up for later success in the discipline.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Science Download How Teachers Are Motivating Students To Learn STEM (DOWNLOADABLE)
Teachers asked students what motivates them to work harder in STEM. Here's what they found.
1 min read
Diverse school children students build robotic cars using computers and coding.
iStock / Getty
Science From Our Research Center Students Say They Care More About STEM as They Get Older. Teachers Disagree
An EdWeek Research Center survey examined student motivation in STEM classes.
3 min read
Cropped from original illustration, silhouetted figures water a blooming STEM flower.
Danny Allison for Education Week