Tech breakthrough gives 40,000 blind and low vision children access to coding

Over 40,000 blind and visually impaired children in the UK could benefit from a tech breakthrough that will make block coding accessible for them. 

A new screen reader compatibility has launched in Microsoft MakeCode, removing barriers that have long prevented many blind and low vision pupils from taking part in block-based coding alongside their classmates. 

Developed in partnership with Micro:bit Educational Foundation and the Blockly team at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, the new functionality is supported by classroom resources to help teachers bring coding to more children.

The technology was co-designed with children and young adults aged 8 to 18 who are blind or have low vision, alongside teachers who support them and experts in this field. 

For Zac Herbert, a 14 year old pupil at New Worcester College in Worcester, the impact has been life-changing. Before the new accessibility features were introduced, Zac often couldn’t take part in the same computing science lessons as his classmates because existing coding platforms weren’t accessible.

Instead, he was taught separately or given alternative activities. He can now code independently alongside his peers using MakeCode and Micro:bit.

“It’s great to have something that you’ve done,” says Zac. “You haven’t had to rely on another person to help you do it. You haven’t had to rely on a sighted person to do it. It’s your work. It’s your masterpiece.”

With input from the UK, Europe and the United States, the technology will make coding more accessible for future generations of learners around the world.

With the accessibility improvements being developed within Blockly, the technology behind many of the world’s most widely used coding platforms, the impact could extend far beyond Microsoft MakeCode. It marks a major step towards making mainstream coding tools accessible to blind and visually impaired learners.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to create with technology, regardless of their ability. For too long, many blind and visually impaired young people have faced barriers to accessing the same coding experiences as their peers,” says Lucy Gill, head of product at Micro:bit Educational Foundation. 

“By working directly with the young people most affected, we’ve helped remove some of those barriers and created a solution that gives many more children the opportunity to learn, create and build confidence through computing. We hope this is just the beginning of a much bigger shift towards making coding accessible for future generations of learners around the world.”