Visual programming and the blind: the challenge and the opportunity

The proliferation of graphical user interfaces has had a dramatic impact on the ability to work as a programmer. It is particularly difficult for the blind to create forms for visual programming applications, such as Visual Basic. A scripting language is introduced that enables the blind to create Visual Basic forms without needing to specify a great deal of detail and without needing the “point and click” approach that they cannot use. Related issues of accommodating the blind in a computer science course are also discussed. Categories and Subject Descriptors K.3.2 [Computers and Education]: Computer and Information Science Education - Computer science education. K.4.2 [Computers and Society]: Social Issues - Assistive technologies for persons with disabilities. General Terms Human Factors, Languages Keywords Visual Basic, Visual Programming, Graphical User Interfaces, Blind Programmers.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: SIGCSE
• Authors: Robert M. Siegfried
• Keywords: Education, Graphical User Interfaces, SIGCSE 2006, Visual Basic, Visual Programming