Reaching Out to Code.org

Recently, AccessComputing leaders Terrill Thompson and Richard Ladner reached out to code.org, a free website that offers lessons in computer coding, to encourage them to caption and describe their video, What Most Schools Don't Teach. The video, which features celebrities from all walks of life discussing the importance of education and computer code, makes a compelling argument for individuals to educate themselves in computer code and computing fields in general.

Terrill and Richard offered specific recommendations for how to caption and subtitle the video using Amara.org, a website that specifically works to help individuals caption videos on the web. Within 24 hours, the video had been captioned in English and subtitled in Spanish.

As of April 8, the video has been subtitled in twenty-one languages and has over ten million views on YouTube. Thanks to people who spoke up about accessibility—including Terrill and Richard—code.org's video is now accessible for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as students worldwide who don't understand spoken English. Countless students with disabilities and language barriers can now be exposed to this message, which could ultimately influence them to choose a career in computing.