Accessible Textbooks: Kentucky’s Experience Linnie Lee, Assistive Technology Consultant Kentucky Department of Education ACTS meeting, July 30, 2006

Universal Design Beginnings in Kentucky Textreader as an assessment accommodation (1998) Instructional Technology for Student Success Project (2000) Expansion to UDL (2001)

UDL Initiative: Literacy software (textreader) in every school Availability of accessible digital curriculum Accessible electronic state assessment

Literacy Software: Building the Technology Infrastructure for Use of Digital Text Since 2001 over 1300 KY schools (95%) have acquired a Site license for Read & Write Gold ( Software includes text to speech, speaking spell check, dictionary, word prediction, etc.

How Does This Help? Students with disabilities have increased access to the general curriculum Students can work more independently Less staff time needed to provide reading accommodations Supports student inclusion in general education settings Textreader compliments traditional reading instruction

It’s About Accessibility “If you can’t get in the door, there’s no reason to want what’s inside.”

What does ‘accessible’ mean?accessible Accessible Digital Curriculum

SB 243 Kentucky Digital Textbook Law (2002) Set standard for provision of digital textbooks KY Accessible Materials Consortium (KAMC) Digital text repository and distribution center KY Accessible Materials Database (KAMD) Local schools view/request digital books Local schools’ creation of digital curriculum

KAMC & KAMD KY Accessible Materials Consortium state digital text repository and distribution center created at University of Louisville in digital books available KY Accessible Materials Database online searchable database opened in August 2004 Digital Rights Manger makes textbook request

704 KAR 3:455: Preferential procurement given to textbooks in accessible digital format Publishers can submit at one of three (3) levels of accessibility Level one – HTML with image descriptions Level two –.doc or.rtf, no image descriptions Level three – accessible.pdf, no image descriptions

KAMC/KAMD Content areas added during adoption years: Practical Living/Vocational Studies Reading First materials Arts and Humanities Language Arts

Eligible Users of KAMC Copyrighted CDs: State Law KRS states students who “require reading accommodations in accordance with an IEP or 504 Plan, including blind, visually impaired or learning disability or other disabilities affecting reading” shall have access in alternate format

Other copyright requirements schools must follow in KY Copyrighted materials (i.e.,CDs) may not be reproduced or distributed to non-authorized users (i.e., students without disabilities) Only students with print disabilities covered under federal and state law may use copyrighted materials on CD from KAMC Use of CDs cannot replace purchase of textbooks

Monitoring Copyright Compliance Electronic materials (CDs) only issued to authorized DRMs Each CD has a unique identifier embedded to track any unauthorized release or use Improper school use of KAMC material will result in termination of access to KAMC and possible penalties related to copyright infringement