www.CTDInstitute.org

Reflections from the CaféAEM Event – Part 2

Joy Zabala, Ed.D., Director of Technical Assistance

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) and the National Center of Accessible Educational Materials for Learning

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Purpose and Big Ideas of this Session

The purpose of this session is to reflect upon the discussion in the CTD Café

Key Discussion Points:

• Reflections on Accommodations: Who’s responsible and what can be done?

• Reflections on Sources of AEM: Should we still be scanning?

• It’s your call! : Anything of interest to you.

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Joint Dear Colleague Letter June 29, 2010, Department of Justice and Department of Education

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What kinds of accommodations are museums and other public entities that offer webinars to schools legally responsible for providing?

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A sixth grade class viewed a webinar offered by a museum. A student in the class is deaf and does not use sign language so an interpreter would not be effective.

Because it was live, captioning was not an option.

This was a new situation for the museum and the school. LOTS of upfront work was done to try to provide the student with access by developing a script and other prompts.

The rest of the story…

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What can you do?

Legal Responsibilities:• Museum: As a public entity must abide by the

nondiscrimination statutes Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) an Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

• School: Must address the communication needs of the student as a part of his free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) as required by IDEA. (ADA and 504 also apply)

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What can you do?

Consider the needs and strengths of the student• The student is deaf and does not use sign language

• How does the receptive and expressive communication take place in face-to-face environments?

• How can those strategies be leveraged in the online environment?

• How fluently does the student read text?

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What can you do?

Consider the issues of the online environment• The webinar is being delivered live so pre-done

captions cannot be provided

• Does the webinar software being used have a captioning module?

• If so, hire a captioner to provide real-time captions during the webinar

• If not, consider a different software program for the delivery of the webinar

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My son is severely dyslexic. His teacher and I digitize (scan) all of his work. His teachers say there is no other way to acquire what he needs. Are there other steps we could take to get the materials in a format he can use?

AEM as Specialized Formats

• Braille, large print, audio, and digital text

• Exactly the same information as the printed materials

• Only the presentation of the material is different

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A Four-Step Process for Decision-Making

1. Establish need for instructional materials in accessible format(s)

2. Select format(s) and features needed by a student for educational participation and achievement

3. Commence steps to acquire needed format(s) in a timely manner

4. Determine supports needed for effective use for educational participation and achievement.

AEM Navigator at http://aem.cast.orgSupporting Learners: http://aem.cast.org/supporting

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What can you do?

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Step One: Determine the Need for AEM.• Student has a severe learning disability and cannot

use printed materials effectively, but can understand content at grade level.

Step Two: What formats are needed?• The student currently uses the digital text specialized

format.

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What can you do?

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Step Three: Where can needed formats be acquired• Parent and teachers currently digitizing all work.

• Services received under either IDEA or 504

• Student almost certainly has a print disability and meets copyright criteria to receive specialized formats from a variety of sources.

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Two Sides of the AEM Coin…

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• The information is the content

• Technology is the delivery system that the student uses to perceive and interact with the content

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What can you do?

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Step Four: Determine supports needed for use of the formats for participation and progress• Technology

• Training for student, family and staff

• Instructional strategies

• Support services

• Accommodations and/or modifications

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Taking a closer look at Step 3

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Step Three: Where can needed formats be acquired• Parent and teachers currently digitizing all work.

• Services received under either IDEA or 504

• Student almost certainly has a print disability and meets copyright criteria to receive specialized formats from a variety of sources.

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There are multiple sources for acquiring accessible versions of printed materials but most sources do not deal

all types of AEM and some cannot be used to provide materials to for all students

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Multiple Sources of Accessible Materials

• NIMAS source files from the NIMAC

• Accessible Media Producers

• Locally Produced

• Free Sources

• Commercial Sources

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Multiple Sources of Accessible Materials

The NIMAC

Students using materials created from NIMAS-source files stored in the NIMAC must:• meet copyright criteria (certified by a competent

authority as unable to read printed materials because of blindness or other disability) AND

• be served under IDEA.

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Multiple Sources of AEM

There are varying Interpretations of “Qualifying Disability” under copyright

The National Library Service - Library of CongressBlind, Visual Impairment, Physical Limitations,

or a Reading Disability based on Organic Dysfunction

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Multiple Sources of Accessible Materials

• NIMAS source files from the NIMAC: Printed materials. Use constrained by copyright AND IDEA

• Accessible Media Producers: Printed materials. Use constrained by copyright restrictions (Bookshare, Learning Ally, APH, etc.)

• Locally Produced: May have constraints and certainly require significant human resources

• Free Sources: No limitations, but may not be the same as used by others

• Commercial Sources: Purchase for anyone, use with anyone!

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Where can I get help when I need it?

National Center for Accessible Educational Materials for Learning

October 2014 to October 2019

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Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress,

in every society, in every family.

Kofi Anan

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“Assistive and Instructional Technology Supporting Learners with Disabilities”