Richard Ladner

My CSTA Story

Richard Ladner has volunteered in K–12 computing activities since 1980, with a special focus on students with disabilities. His interest in CS eventually brought him to CSTA, as he became aware of its leadership in bringing computer science to K–12 students. He joined CSTA’s Board of Directors in 2022 in order to help the organization bring computer science to all children and ensure that CS teachers with disabilities would find CSTA itself both welcoming and accessible.

My Story

Richard Ladner is professor emeritus in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He joined the UW faculty in 1971 after receiving his PhD in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, that same year. He officially retired in 2017. Although he is not teaching anymore, he continues his research in accessible computing and advocacy work in supporting people with disabilities in computing fields. Since 2006, he has been the leader of AccessComputing, a National Science Foundation–funded project that aims to increase the participation of students with disabilities in computing fields. In 2014, he worked with Andreas Stefik to create AccessCSforAll, a program that works on developing accessible computer science educational technology and training K–12 computer science teachers to include students with disabilities in their classes. In 2018 he was named a Champion of Computer Science – Accessibility by CSTA and Code.org. He joined the CSTA Board of Directors in 2022.