Accessibility

Updated October 29, 2026.

ND Code is built for kids who think differently, so access isn't an add-on. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. That's the standard U.S. public schools and districts must meet for web content under the ADA Title II rule, with deadlines of April 26, 2027 for large districts and April 26, 2028 for smaller ones.

Built in for everyone

• Keyboard: every part of the lab works without a mouse. Blocks can be added, moved and removed with keys, so dragging is never required.
• Screen readers: buttons, blocks and code have text labels, the robot's mat is described in words, and changes are announced.
• Reading: read aloud, three reading fonts (Lexend, Atkinson Hyperlegible and OpenDyslexic), four text sizes, and roomy spacing for letters, words and lines.
• Motion and sound: calm mode turns off motion, confetti and sound effects. Less motion makes the robot jump square to square, and it turns on by itself when your device is set to reduce motion.
• The home page: a Pause motion button stops every animation, and the page starts still when your device is set to reduce motion. The story section changes with your scrolling, never on its own.
• Seeing: high-contrast text, a visible focus outline, light and dark themes, and colors that always come with an icon or words, never color alone.
• Time: nothing in a level is timed. The optional focus rhythm suggests breaks with a slow color bar, never a countdown.
• Logging in: kids use pictures or simple words instead of passwords, so there's nothing to spell or remember.
• Touch: bigger buttons are one switch away.

Teachers and parents can turn any of these on for a child, so they're ready every time the child logs in.

How we check

• Automated checks with axe-core on every page, in light and dark themes.
• Keyboard-only walkthroughs of the lab, the login screens and the grown-up dashboard.
• Checks at phone width and at 200% zoom, so nothing is cut off or needs side scrolling.

Known limits

• The robot mat is a picture. Its text description covers where the robot, the star and the rocks are, but the visual version is still the richest one. We're working on a fully text-based mat.
• Read aloud uses the voice built into your device, so how it sounds depends on the device.
• We haven't completed a full audit with screen reader users yet. It's next on our list.

Tell us about a problem

If something doesn't work for you or a child you support, write to andilata04@gmail.com. Tell us the page, what you were trying to do, and the device or assistive technology you use. We answer within 5 business days, and we'll work with you on a fix or another way to get the same thing done.