• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Code the Dream
Code the Dream Labs Logo

Code the Dream

At Code the Dream, we envision a world in which tech innovation comes from all of us and benefits all of us.

  • Learn
    • Our Code School
    • Courses
    • Application
  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Alumni Network
  • Hire
    • Employer Partnerships
    • Tandem Apprenticeship
    • Become a Partner
  • About
    • About Code the Dream
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Meet the Team
    • Board of Directors
    • News
    • Job Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • CTD Labs
  • Build With Us
    • Mobile Apps
    • Web Apps
    • Websites
    • Design
    • Build With Us
  • Our Work
    • Portfolio
    • Apps for Nonprofit Use
  • Partnerships
    • Tandem Apprenticeship
    • Employer Partnerships
    • Become a Partner
  • About CTD Labs
  • Code the Dream Home

Search Code the Dream

CTD team builds winning app to help the visually impaired

June 16, 2015 by dan

 Some of our team: Francisco, Ruben, Eddie and Ramiro. Francisco and Eddie are legally blind.
Some of our team: Francisco, Ruben, Eddie and Ramiro. Francisco and Eddie are legally blind.

A team of eight hardworking Code the Dream students and mentors spent over 20 hours last weekend developing an app to improve internet access for the visually impaired. Their efforts were part of a Startup Weekend event hosted at the American Underground in Durham. The team’s app, The Blank App, won the weekend-long competition sponsored by AT&T to develop the best app to improve the lives of people living with disabilities.

We’re proud of the team for winning, but of course we’re even more excited about the opportunity to make something that stands to improve people’s lives.

A bit more information about our app, The Blank App:

The Problem: Poor Web Accessibility for the Visually Impaired

The internet, and all the information, tools and experiences it offers, should be a boon to the visually impaired. It has the potential to bring a hard-to-navigate world to our doorstep. But sadly, much of the internet itself remains very hard to navigate for those who can’t see or see well. We need to make it easier to share where the problems are and fix them.

Visually impaired users are often frustrated by images with no descriptions or fields that cannot be read by their screen reader. There’s usually no easy way to lodge a complaint or to coordinate with others facing the same problem. Even on sites developed by conscientious coders following accessibility norms, it’s easy to miss problems. Hence the need for more feedback directly from visually impaired users.

The Solution: Seamless Problem Logging and Automatic Fixes

Our team of developers includes visually impaired members who use zoom text and screen readers tools every day. Our easily downloadable browser extensions (currently available for Chrome and Firefox) allow visually impaired users to use a single keyboard shortcut to automatically capture problem URL’s and log their feedback.

With the browser extension, users will also automatically upload fully accessible “fixed” versions of sites commonly reported to have problems. Based on helpful feedback we’ve received from many of our first users, our team has a number of fixed sites currently in beta testing.

In addition to our in-house developed fixes, theblankapp.com will also share collected accessibility data and allow third-party developers to upload their own fixes for common issues — thereby creating a crowdsourcing platform to rapidly multiply the number of “fixed”, fully accessible sites.

Beyond directly improving visually impaired users’ experience, we believe the data we capture will be a valuable tool for sharing with policymakers and fostering a more inclusive society with fully equal access.

More News

New Hires
Jun 4, 2025
Three New Developers Join CTD Team
Code the Dream is excited to welcome three new Junior Developers to the Code the Dream team! KJ Loving, Oksana Stepanchuk, and Mohammad Rezaie joined Code the Dream in April, bringing their expertise and unique points of view to CTD Labs. Each of them answered a few questions about themselves and their paths to Code the […]
<div class="ctd-news-title">Three New Developers Join CTD Team</div>
Lenovo
Apr 30, 2025
Code the Dream Welcomes Lenovo as Newest Tandem Apprentice Champion
For Triangle-based global tech giant Lenovo, building a more inclusive tech workforce isn’t just a lofty goal—it’s part of the company’s initiative to ensure the people behind their products represent the customers they serve. After spending several years as a Lenovo partner through their TransforME grant, Code the Dream is excited to announce that we […]
<div class="ctd-news-title">Code the Dream Welcomes Lenovo as Newest Tandem Apprentice Champion</div>
Alumni Spotlight
Apr 2, 2025
Tandem Apprenticeship Provides Path to Tech Job for CTD Alum
In 2021, Amy Sandoval was working in property management and considering taking out student loans to go back to school. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but she knew it had to be engaging and challenging. “I’d worked in restaurants, I’d worked in retail, I was a property admin,” she said. “Every job […]
<div class="ctd-news-title">Tandem Apprenticeship Provides Path to Tech Job for CTD Alum</div>

Footer

Code the Dream logo

Copyright © 2025 Code the Dream | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy