Written by VSTE Professional Services member Dr. Caitlin Hayes

Imagine a science classroom where students are programming devices to respond to environmental changes. One student designs a sound-based alarm. Another programs flashing LED lights to communicate the same information. Across the room, students program a drone using coding commands displayed in their preferred language.

The learning objectives remain consistent, but the pathways to participation look different.

As educators, we often associate accessibility with accommodations provided after a barrier has been identified. What if we considered those barriers before instruction began?

Educational technology offers opportunities to remove obstacles, expand participation, and create learning experiences where more students can succeed.

Accessibility and Inclusive Design: Understanding the Difference

Although frequently used interchangeably, accessibility and inclusive design address related but distinct considerations.

Accessibility focuses on removing barriers for individuals with disabilities, including sensory, physical, cognitive, and learning disabilities. Accessible technologies may include screen readers, captions, alternative input devices, and assistive reading tools.

Inclusive design takes a broader approach, considering differences in language, background, abilities, experiences, and learning preferences when developing learning environments.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a framework for addressing these differences through multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression (CAST, 2024).

The following five EdTech examples demonstrate how educators can apply these principles while maintaining meaningful academic expectations.

BBC micro:bit: Designing for Sensory Accessibility

The Micro Educational Foundation provides resources supporting students with disabilities, including Deaf and hard-of-hearing learners.

The BBC micro is a programmable microcontroller featuring sensors, buttons, and an LED display. Educators can adapt sound-based activities to communicate information visually, providing an alternative to auditory signals.

The foundation also offers guidance addressing hearing, vision, and mobility-related barriers, encouraging educators to consider accessibility throughout the design process (Micro Educational Foundation, n.d.).

Try It Tomorrow: Challenge students to create a notification system using a micro. One design might produce an audible alert, while another displays flashing LED symbols. Have students compare how each design communicates information and identify who might benefit from alternative outputs.

Resource: https://microbit.org/accessibility/

Robolink: Supporting Linguistic Inclusion Through Coding

Language can become an additional barrier when students encounter unfamiliar programming terminology alongside new computer science concepts.

Robolink's Blockly environment for CoDrone EDU supports visual block-based programming and offers language options including English, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, French, Dutch, Hungarian, Romanian, and Bulgarian. Updates throughout 2026 expanded the platform's multilingual capabilities (Robolink, 2026).

Multilingual interfaces can support inclusive instruction by allowing students to explore programming concepts using familiar terminology while developing computational thinking skills.

This creates opportunities for collaboration between computer science and world language educators, reinforcing both technical vocabulary and communication skills.

Although multilingual interfaces are not substitutes for disability-specific accessibility features, they demonstrate how inclusive design can address broader barriers to participation.

Try It Tomorrow: Have students identify five programming commands in two languages. Working collaboratively, challenge them to plan a simple autonomous drone flight and compare how programming concepts are represented across languages.

Resource: https://docs.robolink.com/docs/CoDroneEDU/Blockly/Blockly-Changelog/

Microsoft: Supporting Reading and Writing Accessibility

Traditional reading and writing assignments can create barriers for students with dyslexia, learning disabilities, and other accessibility needs.

Microsoft offers tools such as Immersive Reader, which supports reading through text-to-speech and adjustable presentation options. Dictation tools also provide alternatives to typing (Microsoft, n.d.).

These features allow educators to distinguish between the academic content being assessed and the mechanics of accessing or communicating that content.

Try It Tomorrow: Before assigning a digital science reading, demonstrate Immersive Reader. Allow students to explore read-aloud options and text-display settings, then reflect on which features support comprehension.

Resource: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/accessibility-tools-for-learning

Google: Discovering Accessibility Tools Already Available

Many classrooms already have access to assistive features through Chromebooks.

Built-in accessibility options include ChromeVox screen reader, Live Caption, screen magnification, dictation, and alternative input methods (Google for Education, n.d.).

These features support students with visual, hearing, motor, and other accessibility needs without necessarily requiring additional software.

However, providing access to accessibility tools is only the first step. Students must also understand when and how to use them.

Try It Tomorrow: Facilitate a five-minute Chromebook accessibility exploration. Ask students to investigate two accessibility features and explain how each could remove a barrier to completing an academic task.

Resource: https://edu.google.com/our-values/accessibility/chromebooks-accessibility/

Book Creator: Expanding Opportunities for Student Expression

Accessibility also involves providing students with meaningful opportunities to communicate what they know.

Book Creator supports multimedia publishing through text, images, audio, and video. Its accessibility features include compatibility with assistive technologies, keyboard navigation, and tools supporting accessible digital content (Book Creator, n.d.).

When the learning objective permits, students can demonstrate understanding through different formats while being assessed against consistent academic criteria.

Try It Tomorrow: Following a science lesson, invite students to demonstrate understanding through an illustrated explanation, audio-supported digital book, or multimedia presentation. Use a common rubric emphasizing content accuracy and reasoning. Require appropriate captions and image descriptions.

Resource: https://bookcreator.com/accessibility/

Three Strategies to Implement Immediately

Educational technology becomes more effective when accessibility and inclusive design guide instructional decisions.

1. Identify barriers before selecting technology.

Consider whether an activity requires students to hear audio, interpret small text, manipulate equipment, or understand unfamiliar language. Determine which requirements are essential and which can be adapted.

2. Offer multiple pathways to participation.

Provide captions, visual supports, multilingual resources, accessible navigation, and flexible response formats when appropriate. These strategies reflect UDL's emphasis on reducing barriers while supporting learner agency (CAST, 2024).

3. Include students in accessibility decisions.

Invite students to explore available tools, communicate preferences, and provide feedback. Their experiences can help educators identify barriers that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Moving From Access to Belonging

No single technology guarantees accessibility. A visual coding platform may still present barriers for students with visual impairments, just as a multilingual interface may not address every language-related challenge.

Meaningful inclusion requires ongoing reflection, appropriate accommodations, and intentional instructional design.

As Virginia educators continue integrating technology across disciplines, we should move beyond asking whether students can use a particular tool.

Instead, ask:

When accessibility and inclusive design become part of instructional planning rather than an afterthought, technology can support not only access to learning but also a stronger sense of belonging.

References

Book Creator. (n.d.). Accessibility. https://bookcreator.com/accessibility/

CAST. (2024). CAST Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 3.0. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

Google for Education. (n.d.). Chromebook accessibility. https://edu.google.com/our-values/accessibility/chromebooks-accessibility/

Micro Educational Foundation. (n.d.). Accessibility. https://microbit.org/accessibility/

Microsoft. (n.d.). Accessibility tools for learning. Microsoft Support. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/accessibility-tools-for-learning

Robolink. (2026). Blockly changelog. Robolink Documentation. https://docs.robolink.com/docs/CoDroneEDU/Blockly/Blockly-Changelog/

Transparency Statement

AI assistance was used to support image creation aligned with VSTE branding. Product information was reviewed using publicly available documentation. The author has a professional affiliation with Robolink, which is included alongside other educational technology examples. These references illustrate instructional applications and do not constitute product endorsements by VSTE.