1. Is it Accessible. What Does that Mean. Joy Smiley Zabala, Ed. D
Is it Accessible? What Does that Mean? Joy Smiley Zabala, Ed.D., Co-Director Diana Carl, MA, LSSP, Special Projects Coordinator National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning
Students, families, educators at all levels and other service providers who are new to accessible educational materials (AEM) and accessible technologies have many questions about what “accessibility” means. How do you know if something is accessible and to whom is it accessible? This session will include a discussion of basic information about accessibility and what that means to learners with disabilities. Topics in this introductory webinar will include legal issues, a decision-making process, and how to locate and use supporting resources on the AEM Center website.

2. Big Ideas of this Session
Content will focus on the following main ideas:
Introducing the AEM Center
Reviewing AEM-related Legal Issues
Examining what accessibility means
Making AEM-related decisions
Leveraging AEM Center supportive tools and resources
Students, families, educators at all levels and other service providers who are new to accessible educational materials (AEM) and accessible technologies have many questions about what “accessibility” means. How do you know if something is accessible and to whom is it accessible? This session will include a discussion of basic information about accessibility and what that means to learners with disabilities. Topics in this introductory webinar will include legal issues, a decision-making process, and how to locate and use supporting resources on the AEM Center website. 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 to multiple stakeholders built on promising practices
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. “We need to make every single thing accessible to every single person with a disability” Stevie Wonder

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. 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.
Students, families, educators at all levels and other service providers who are new to accessible educational materials (AEM) and accessible technologies have many questions about what “accessibility” means. How do you know if something is accessible and to whom is it accessible? This session will include a discussion of basic information about accessibility and what that means to learners with disabilities. Topics in this introductory webinar will include legal issues, a decision-making process, and how to locate and use supporting resources on the AEM Center website. 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. Other Federal Legislation
Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA)
Learn more about WIOA
Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
Learn more about HEOA

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

14. Examining What Accessibility Means

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

16. 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?

17. Think about a student who is deaf or hard of hearing

18. Think about a student with low vision

19. Think about a student who is blind

20. Think about a student with a physical disability

21. Think about a student who has a learning disability, dyslexia, ADHD, autism or a cognitive disability

22. Accessibility in the Context of Materials and Technologies

23. 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

24. 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

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

26. Indicators of Accessibility in Digital Materials

27. Example of Accessibility in WACAG 2.0 AA
Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive
Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable
Understandable
Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable
Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including AT

28. Leveraging Resources – Accessibility Dos and Don’ts
Download Posters from UKHomeOffice.org

29. Leveraging Resources – PALM Initiative
Purchase
Accessible
Learning
Materials

30. 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.

31. 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

32. 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?

33. Simply Said: Understanding Accessibility in Digital Learning Materials
Leveraging Resources Introductory Video on Accessible Digital Materials
Simply Said: Understanding Accessibility in Digital Learning Materials

34. Making Decisions About AEM

35. 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.

36. Lesson Learned…
The need or preferences for educational materials in accessible formats goes well beyond print and well beyond students with identified disabilities.

37. 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?

38. 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. 38

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

40. Getting Help When You Need It

41. AEM Center Homepage - Top

42. AEM Center Homepage – Upcoming Events

43. AEM Web Page Footer

44. 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

45. Join us for Next Steps: Acquisition
Acquiring Accessible Print Materials in K-12
Wednesday, October 12, 2:00-3:00 EDT
Acquiring Accessible Digital Materials
Thursday, October 27, 2:00-3:00 EDT

46. “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

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

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