Introductory programming and young learners with visual disabilities: a review

Computational Thinking (CT) captures the mental processes used to model and solve problems using a computational processes. While often connected to programming, CT is a core problem-solving skill, which has been advocated by educational researchers as a core skill, at par with reading and comprehension. A variety of learning environments have been proposed to aid young learners in acquiring knowledge of CT. The majority of such environments are highly visual, linking the process of solving a problem computationally to the process of building a graphical representation of an algorithm, e.g., in the form of a graphical jigsaw puzzle. The algorithms are often used to produce a visual output, e.g., animations. The highly visual models have been shown to be inaccessible to young learners with visual disabilities. This paper provides a review of the literature, which addresses the challenges of learning CT by young learners with visual disabilities. The survey offers also a series of recommendations on the effective design of accessible programming learning environments for young learners with visual disabilities. The paper provides an understanding of the current state of the art, along with the identification of promising directions for future research.