"Different and Boundary-Pushing:" How Blind and Low Vision Youth Live Code Together

William Christopher Payne, Eric Xu, Izabella Rodrigues, Matthew Kaney, Madeline Mau, Amy Hurst

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Live coding, or real-time algorithmic performance, is a rich medium for engaging novices in informal creative STEM learning. However, despite inclusive and open-source communities, disabled practitioners are underrepresented in live coding, and prior work highlights numerous accessibility barriers. To understand the perspectives of Blind and Low Vision (BLV) live coders, we formed FiLOrk (Fil Laptop Orchestra) with five BLV teens. Across two semesters, FiLOrk performed three original works, each guided by a core concept and improvisational structure for manipulating code and maintaining shared awareness. We interviewed four musicians to understand how they felt about the learning environment and how their creative identities formed individually and in relation to one another. We reflect on FiLOrk's outcomes and propose strategies for future live coding ensembles to meaningfully include novices with and without disabilities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationC and C 2024 - Proceedings of the 16th Conference on Creativity and Cognition
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Pages627-637
Number of pages11
ISBN (Electronic)9781450383769
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 23 2024
Event16th Conference on Creativity and Cognition, C and C 2024 - Chicago, United States
Duration: Jun 23 2024Jun 26 2024

Publication series

NameACM International Conference Proceeding Series

Conference

Conference16th Conference on Creativity and Cognition, C and C 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityChicago
Period6/23/246/26/24

Keywords

  • Accessibility
  • Algorave
  • Blindness
  • Electronic Music
  • Informal Learning
  • Laptop Ensemble
  • Live Coding
  • Tidal
  • Vision Impairment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Software

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