1. Acquiring Accessible Print Materials in K-12 Joy Smiley Zabala, Ed. D
Acquiring Accessible Print Materials in K Joy Smiley Zabala, Ed.D., Co-Director Diana Carl, MA, LSSP, Special Projects Coordinator National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning
October 12, Acquiring Accessible Print Materials in K-12
Even with explosion of digital learning materials, most school continue to include some printed materials in their curriculum. The content of print textbooks and learning materials is not accessible to many students with disabilities. Join us to learn more about the ways in which print materials can be retrofitted into specialized formats and sources of those formats for students who require them for participation and achievement. This interactive session will look at each side of the AEM coin – accessible content and accessible delivery technology. Topics will include a decision making process, how materials can be acquired and the supports that may be needed for effective use for learning.

2. Big Ideas of this Session
Content will focus on the following main ideas:
Introducing the AEM Center
Reviewing AEM-related Legal Issues related to print materials
Examining accessible content and accessible delivery technology
Making AEM-related decisions
Acquiring specialized formats of print materials
Using accessible instructional materials
Leveraging AEM Center supportive tools and resources
Even with explosion of digital learning materials, most school continue to include some printed materials in their curriculum. The content of print textbooks and learning materials is not accessible to many students with disabilities. Join us to learn more about the ways in which print materials can be retrofitted into specialized formats and sources of those formats for students who require them for participation and achievement. This interactive session will look at each side of the AEM coin – accessible content and accessible delivery technology. Topics will include a decision making process, how materials can be acquired and the supports that may be needed for effective use for learning. 2

3. About the AEM Center

4. AEM Center Goal
To build the capacity of states, districts, postsecondary institutions, families, publishers, workforce development entities and other stakeholders to increase the availability and use of high-quality accessible materials (AEM) and technologies that support improved learning opportunities and outcomes for learners with disabilities.

5. AEM Center Services
Three tiers of technical assistance, tools and resources built on promising practices and available to multiple stakeholders
Universal – High-quality, relevant and useful products and services readily available to all
Targeted – Focused assistance in response to specific requests from the field
Intensive – Ongoing collaborative work on best practices with 8 states (Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas)

6. Why Provide Accessible Materials and Technologies?

7. Stevie Wonder at the Grammys
“We need to make every single thing accessible to every single person with a disability”

8. IDEA Fed. Reg. Section
Provisions require state and local education agencies to ensure that printed textbooks and related core instructional materials are provided to learners with print disabilities in specialized formats in a timely manner. Legal requirement is placed on state and local education agencies. IDEA cannot place requirements on publishers

9. Multiple Definitions of Print Disability
Term appears in IDEA and specifies who has a print disability
Term is not specifically defined
In general usage, it refers to being unable to read or use standard print materials because of blindness or other disability
A print disability is related to FUNCTION rather than to a specific disability category. 9

10. What OSEP says about AEM in 2015
“Accessible educational materials” means print- and technology-based educational materials, including printed and electronic textbooks and related core materials that are required by SEAs and LEAs for use by all students… CFDA Z, Footnote #10

11. For more information view Frequently Asked Questions
AEM and Civil Rights
Two federal civil rights acts, Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability
speak to the obligation of public schools to provide accessible educational materials to learners with disabilities who need them.
For more information view Frequently Asked Questions

12. Materials are Materials
Instructional ?
Educational?
Learning?
ALL materials have to be ACCESSIBLE and so do the technologies that render them!

13. Examining What Accessibility Means

14. Functional Definition of Accessibility
Joint Dear Colleague Letter June 29, 2010 Department of Justice and Department of Education

15. Is it Accessible? It Depends…
Accessibility is not one thing or set of things
Accessibility is a moving target
Accessible to whom?
Accessible where?
Accessible for what?

16. “Accessibility” Is Not a Single Solution

17. Accessible Materials and Technologies: Focus on Print

18. What are AEM?
Materials that are designed or enhanced in a way that makes them usable by the widest possible range of student variability regardless of format (print, digital, graphical, audio, video)
Content may be “designed to be used as print” (born print) and require retrofitting
Content may be “designed to be used digitally” (born digital) and difficult to retrofit if not accessible from the start

19. Specialized Formats of Print Materials
Braille, large print, audio, and digital text
Exactly the same information as the printed materials
Only the presentation of the material is different

20. Lesson Learned: Formats
Many students will need more than one format depending upon
the impact of their disability,
what they need to do and
where they need to do it.

21. Leveraging Resources: Meet Juna
AEM in Action: Meet Juna…. Leveling the Playing Field
To see an example of the importance of self-determination skills and independence for students related to their use of AEM, see the video series - Meet Juna: Leveling the Playing Field with AIM. Explore the story of Juna Gjata who has a visual impairment that prevents her from reading standard print materials; and learn how she—with the help of supportive teachers, assistive technology, and accessible instructional materials—has been able to excel academically. In the segment, Paving the Way to Harvard, observe how Juna's team supported the building of her independence and self-determination over time so that she was well prepared for college.
Meet Juna

22. Lesson Learned…
When thinking about accessible materials, it is important to understand that the content and the delivery technology are two sides of the AEM coin and both require careful consideration and selection.

23. Two Sides of the AEM Coin…
The information is the content
Accessible technology is the delivery system that the student uses to perceive and interact with the content

24. Accessible Technologies
Any device, hardware, software or handheld equipment that provides access to life's activities
Can be used by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities.  
Directly usable without assistive technology or
Compatible and made usable with assistive technology 
Adapted from AccessibleTech.org’s What is Accessible Electronic and Information Technology?

25. Leveraging Resources: Introductory Video for Accessible Print
AIM Simply Said Video - Print

26. Making Decisions About AEM

27. A Four-Step Decision-Making Process
Establish need for accessible educational materials
Select format(s) and/or features needed by a student for educational participation and achievement
Commence steps to acquire materials with identified format(s) and features in a timely manner
Determine supports needed for effective use for educational participation and achievement. 27

28. Determination of Need

29. Lesson Learned: Broader Need
The need or preferences for educational materials in accessible formats goes well beyond students with identified disabilities.

30. Who Needs AEM?
Learners with disabilities that prevent them from perceiving and using “typical” instructional materials, such as print or “locked” digital materials, effectively
Students with sensory, physical, or learning-related disabilities
Learners without identified disabilities who cannot make effective use of “typical” instructional materials
Struggling readers, students lacking English proficiency, etc.
Learners who simply prefer options for different tasks or for use in different environments.

31. Lesson Learned: Need for AEM
A primary factor to consider in determining a student’s need for AEM is whether or not the student is able to read or use standard print educational materials.

32. When Might a Learner Need AEM?
If any student is unable to read or use grade level instructional materials at a sufficient rate and with adequate comprehension to complete academic tasks with success, relative to same-age peers, or cannot do this independently, or cannot do this across environments and tasks, then the student MAY need AEM.
In the next section, we will examine a process that can be used to assist teams in determining if a student needs AEM?

33. Selecting Specialized Formats

34. Selection of Formats
More about Selecting Specialized Formats

35. Acquiring Specialized Formats of Print Materials

36. Multiple Sources of Accessible Print
There are multiple sources for acquiring accessible versions of educational materials but most sources do not deal with all types of AEM and some cannot be used to provide materials to all students.

37. Multiple Sources of Accessible Materials
NIMAS source files from the NIMAC
Accessible Media Producers
Locally Produced
Free Sources
Commercial Sources

38. Multiple Sources: The NIMAC and AMPS
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.)

39. Multiple Sources of Accessible Materials: NIMAC
The National Instructional Materials Access Center (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.

40. Multiple Interpretations of Copyright Criteria
There are varying interpretations of
“Qualifying Disability” under copyright
The National Library Service - Library of Congress
A person who cannot read print-based materials because of Blindness, Visual Impairment,
Physical Limitations or
a Reading Disability based on Organic Dysfunction
Explore the National Library Service of the Library of Congress

41. Accessible Media Producer: Bookshare
“Bookshare offers the world’s largest collection of accessible titles for people who cannot read traditional print books because of a visual impairment, physical disability or severe learning disability.”
Explore Bookshare

42. Accessible Media Producer: Learning Ally
“A print disability can be a learning disability, a visual impairment or a print disability. Although the manners in which the disability occurs are very different, they all share one characteristic: individuals diagnosed with a print disability cannot access print in the standard way.” Explore Learning Ally

43. Bookshare and Learning Ally Criteria
In order for for a student to use Bookshare or Learning Ally, an expert must confirm that the student has a print disability that prevents reading traditional print materials…
People with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or emotional or intellectual disabilities or whose first language is not English generally do not qualify based on this criteria unless they also have a qualifying print disability.
Example - Bookshare Qualification Criteria

44. Leveraging Resources – AEM Guide to AMPs
The AEM Guide to AMPs
Extensive information about the services of three major Accessible Media Producers (AMPs)
The American Printing House for the Blind
Bookshare and Learning Ally
Information contained in the guide is provided by the AMP
and presents an overview of the services provided by each AMP to students who meet copyright criteria for specialized formats. 
Explore the Summary Table

45. Additional Sources of Accessible Materials
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, may not be accessible
Commercial Sources: Purchase for anyone, use with anyone!

46. Putting It Another Way…

47. Library of Accessible Materials
Accessible Instructional Materials 101: What SEAs, LEAs, and Families Need to Know about NIMAS and Beyond

48. Library of Accessible Text: Present

49. Library of Accessible Materials - Future

50. Lesson Learned: Digital
As the publishing industry “goes digital” the most promising sources of AEM for widespread use are:
Accessible digital learning materials developed by publishers and made available for purchase
Accessible open educational resources (OERs)

51. Supporting the Use of Specialized Formats

52. Instructional strategies Support services
Supports for Use
Technology
Training
Instructional strategies
Support services
Accommodations and/or modifications

53. Leveraging Resources – AEM Navigator
The AEM Navigator
A Process Facilitator that supports decision-making related to print materials for an individual student

54. Getting Help When You Need It

55. AEM Center Homepage - Top

56. AEM Center Homepage – Upcoming Events

57. AEM Web Page Footer

58. Social Media #aem4all http://aem.cast.org
Check out the social media opportunities
at the bottom of the AEM Center Homepage
#aem4all

59. What Can You Do?
Visit the AEM Center web site at:
Use the information and tools on the AEM Center site to help identify need and then explore options to meet the need
Go to “AEM State Contacts” to find out about state policies, procedures, and practices in your state
Fulfill statutory obligations and go beyond to ensure that EVERY student has access to materials
Attend additional webinars

60. Join us for Next Steps: Acquisition
Acquiring Accessible Digital Materials
Thursday, October 27, 2:00-3:00 EDT

61. “Where there was once an observer, let there now be a participant.”
NOTE-TAKING GUIDE: SETTing the Stage for Technology-Supported Student Achievement
Jerome Bruner
“Where there was once an observer, let there now be a participant.”
© Joy Smiley Zabala (2006). For permission to use contact by For further information, visit

62. We’re always just a fingertip away!
Joy Zabala Diana Carl AEM Team

63. Thank you for joining us!
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