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  1. Block-based programming environments are very popular for introducing children to programming. Unfortunately, they are not accessible to many children with visual or motor impairments. In this paper we outline why block-based environments should be made accessible for these children, describe current efforts to make environments accessible, and describe how developers can incorporate accessibility into their own block-based programming environments. 
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  2. Blocks-based programming environments are a popular tool to teach children to program, but they rely heavily on visual metaphors and are therefore not fully accessible for children with visual impairments. We evaluated existing blocks-based environments and identified five major accessibility barriers for visually impaired users. We explored techniques to overcome these barriers in an interview with a teacher of the visually impaired and formative studies on a touchscreen blocks-based environment with five children with visual impairments. We distill our findings on usable touchscreen interactions into guidelines for designers of blocks-based environments. 
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