During the VEX Robotics Educators Conference, I had the opportunity to demo the VEX Accessibility App, which allows users to control a VEX IQ Brain using an Xbox Adaptive Controller. This helps students work around the physical limitations of the standard VEX controller, lowering the barrier of entry for students who might otherwise be unable to participate as drivers on a robotics team. During one of these demos, a moment truly blew me away. A teacher teared up as she shared how a student on her team—who had never been able to be a driver—could finally participate thanks to these new tools. She explained how this student had always been on the sidelines, unable to physically use the standard controller, but now had the chance to fully engage with their team and compete like everyone else. This was a common theme throughout the day—after nearly every demo, educators would share stories of multiple students they knew who would benefit from these accessibility features right away.
As a software engineer, I don’t often get to interact face-to-face with the teachers and students who use what we build. Seeing their reactions and hearing how much VEX’s focus on accessibility means to them was both humbling and motivating. It was a powerful reminder of how important it is to keep lowering barriers and making robotics a space where every student feels they belong.
You can read more about everyone else’s experiences in the Reflections from the 2025 VEX Robotics Educators Conference!
