Exploring the Perspectives of Teachers of the Visually Impaired Regarding Accessible K12 Computing Education

Abstract

As the computing job market continues to expand, the demand for eligible professionals to fill open positions has increased. In response, diversity efforts seek to broaden the participation of underrepresented populations in computing. This movement towards broadening participation includes blind or visually impaired (BVI) people who, historically, have faced barriers in succeeding in a primarily visually-oriented field. The present literature has examined modifying current tools for greater accessibility for BVI people and developing new, more inclusive learning environments. We argue, however, for additional investigation into the accessibility of computing education from the lens of instructors who teach computing to BVI students. Our paper reports on findings from interviews investigating the learning experience of BVI students in computer science courses from the perspective of teachers of the visually impaired (TVI). We interviewed K12 TVIs regarding their experience teaching students how to code, preparing lectures to accommodate their students' needs, and the resources they believe are necessary to help teachers provide more accessible instruction to the students. Our findings revealed that despite the recent improvements to increase accessibility in K12 computer science curricula, challenges still exist regarding the technology used by BVI students and the lack of accessible learning materials available to teachers. Additionally, our participants offer suggestions of resources to help K12 teachers in providing more accessible instruction to their students. The findings may benefit those interested in improving accessibility in computing education for students with disabilities.