Accessible Educational Materials was previously referred to in the IDEA as Accessible Instructional Materials. “Educational materials and technologies are “accessible” to people with disabilities if they are able to “acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services” as people who do not have disabilities. As a person with a disability, you must be able to achieve these three goals “in an equally integrated and equally effective manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use” (Joint Letter US Department of Justice and US Department of Education, June 29, 2010).” (aem.org.cast)The NC Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities cites IDEA on Accessible Instructional Materials.

Accessible Educational Materials for Parents and Families
Schools use a considerable amount of print-based instructional materials to deliver content. Many students, however, cannot access content that requires them to interact with print-based materials. Students who struggle to read may have physical, sensory, cognitive, or learning differences and may need accessible educational materials (AEM) to access the general education curriculum.

The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials and PACER Center are pleased to announce the release of our new video explaining Accessible Instruc...

Watch move videos at www.perkinselearning.org/videos/webcastIn this webcast, Yue Ting Siu provides us with an introduction to current technologies employed t...

Discover accessible learning across the lifespan in these short and informative videos designed to start conversations about the importance of accessibility and accessible materials in your context.

Introduction to Accessibility

In this first video in our series, you’ll build an understanding of what accessibility means. People who need accessible materials and technologies describe how access creates inclusion where they live, learn, and work. Ultimately, accessibility is achieved when we remove barriers — or better yet, design environments that are inclusive for everyone from the beginning.

Turn learning barriers into learning opportunities by exploring the world of accessibility and Universal Design for Learning.

Each episode of The Accessible Learning Experience features interviews with national, state, and local leaders whose work focuses on turning learning barriers into learning opportunities. These leaders share their top tips and strategies for implementing accessibility best practices in a variety of settings. They also shine a spotlight on the partnerships and collaboration that are needed to create robust systems for the timely provision and use of accessible educational materials and technologies in support of inclusive teaching and learning practices. Episodes are released monthly and you can listen on the web through Anchor or through the podcast app of your choice.

Many struggling and special needs students have a print disability. Teachers can meet these students’ needs by translating the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)into practice. Learn about the seven features of "born accessible materials

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) Report, more than a billion people in the world today experience disability (2017). Higher education also has ...

This AEM session will review the meaning of accessibility, and look at why standard formats can create barriers for certain learners. In contrast, we will outline and explore the basic accessible formats. Ideally, educators would provide materials that their students can access, but when that doesn’t happen, learners need a solution. Additionally, some accessible formats may require the use of an assistive technology tool to allow the student to fully interact with the materials being presented. This session will focus on free or low-cost accessible technology tools available on a variety of devices and platforms. Having the right tool for the task can mean the difference in a student’s meaningful and successful participation in their education!
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Link to SMORE: https://www.smore.com/6cxh4

Acquiring the accessible formats a learner needs is part of a multi-step decision-making process. By prioritizing accessibility, access barriers for learners with disabilities will be minimized when materials are acquired. In cases where inaccessible materials have been selected, alternative forms - accessible formats - of those materials will have to be acquired for learners who need them. Examples of accessible formats include audio, braille, large print, tactile graphics, and digital text conforming with accessibility standards.

Accessible formats of materials can be acquired from:

Accessible Media Producers (AMPs)
Publishers
Local Conversion

Advocating For My Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) is a workbook designed for students to use as they begin to learn to advocate for the accommodations and accessibility features they need in their educational programs. It applies common self-advocacy principles to the needs of students who use AEM in their daily educational programs. Students and their support teams will find this guide useful when an assessment has been completed to establish the need for accessible educational materials, technology, and assistive technology. In creating this workbook, the authors have assumed that the student is already using their AEM in functional ways in their educational environments. Because students can start building self-advocacy skills as soon as they begin to use AEM, individual sections of the workbook may be useful as soon as students begin to learn to use AEM.

Strategy for reducing anxiety that may cause inattention and zoning out in triggering situations. 

Apps for students with learning disabilities/dyslexia
Overview
Student using iPad to readMost of the Assistive Technology (AT) software applications designed for students with learning disabilities/dyslexia are focused on accommodating the reading process. However, there are also a large number of software applications that can assist students with learning disabilities in other ways including, planning, time management, organization, speech-to-text (for students who also have written expression issues), audio recordings, note-taking and many others.

The following are lists and resources for locating lists of apps, software applications and other technologies designed to assist students with learning disabilities/dyslexia.

Quick teaching tip: Strategy for Asperger's syndrome in the classroom.

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Learning Center
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The new ATIA Learning Center is a user-friendly source of high-quality education, presented by leading AT professionals and designed for educators, consultants, and service professionals working at the local, state and national levels in government and private organizations. The Learning Center is the place to:
Discover courses covering a wide variety of AT topics*
Expand your knowledge and skills on your own time
Download handouts for future use
Earn CEU certificates immediately (upon completion of course assessments)
Store your unfinished courses, completed assessments, and CEU certificates in one place – indefinitely!
Complete feedback surveys to improve the user experiences

Audio-supported reading (ASR) is a practical and supportable intervention that has been documented to minimize the constricting impact of limited text decoding, thereby improving academic outcomes for many students with reading-related learning disabilities. This article provides detail on the nature of reading; the challenges of reading-related, learning disabilities; the supporting legal landscape; and practical considerations for how to accurately target ASR interventions to address the needs of students with learning disabilities.

The purpose of the Quality Indicators and Critical Components is to assist state and local education agencies, institutions of higher education and workforce development agencies with planning, implementing, and evaluating dynamic, coordinated systems for the timely provision of accessible educational materials and accessible technologies. Given the variability of policies and practices across these organizations, the Quality Indicators and Critical Components are designed to provide agencies with consistent goals and to promote discussion around multiple methods to achieve those goals.

This is a weekly behavior chart that is meant to be modified for your students and their unique needs. 

Michael Cantino from Northwest Regional Education Service District presents Creating Accessible Documents in the Microsoft and Google Suites.