0. Using Accessible Materials and Technologies Joy Zabala, Ed. D
Using Accessible Materials and Technologies Joy Zabala, Ed.D., Co-Director Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning at CAST State Leaders in the AEM ITA Cohort Maryland, Minnesota and Texas

1. Main Ideas A bit about accessibility
Brief Introduction to the AEM Center
AEM Center Resources and Technical Assistance
The AEM ITA Cohort
AEM Center Collaboration with the State Education Technology Directors’ Association
First Key Learning Objective  Define the term “accessible educational materials (AEM) as updated by the Office of Special Education Programs 2. Second Key Learning Objective  Explain the relationship between AEM and traditional reading instruction 3. Third Key Learning Objective  Locate tools, case studies and other resources on the AEM Center website

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

3. Lesson Learned…
“Accessibility” is a moving target that depends upon needs and contexts.

4. Pondering the “Moving Target”

5. Accessibility and Usability?
Learnability - Easier to learn
Efficiency – Takes less time to accomplish tasks
Memorability – Can return to design with ease
Recoverability – Fewer errors, easily fixed
Satisfaction – User comfort and likability

6. A Working Definition of 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 “born print” and require retrofitting
Content may be “born digital” and difficult to retrofit if not accessible from the start

7. AEM as Specialized Formats of Print
Braille, large print, audio, and digital text
Exactly the same information as the printed materials
Only the presentation of the material is different
Review the bullets and continue to the next slide. 7

8. Lesson Learned
In the current landscape of materials used for educational purposes, many are NOT print-based.

9. Lesson Learned (2)…
In the current landscape of materials used for educational purposes, many are NOT print-based.

10. Lesson Learned (3)…
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)

11. Relationship of AEM to FAPE?
Accessible Instructional Materials 101: What SEAs, LEAs, and Families Need to Know about NIMAS and Beyond
Relationship of AEM to FAPE?
“Timely access to appropriate and accessible instructional materials is an inherent component of [an LEA’s/SEA’s] obligation under [IDEA] to ensure:
that FAPE is available for children with disabilities and
that children with disabilities participate in the general education curriculum as specified in their IEPs.”
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), 71 Fed Reg
Zabala, J., Carl, D., Fonner, K., & Marfilius, S. (2008). Preconference at Closing the Gap. Minneapolis, MN. For more information visit aim.cast.org or

12. A Brief Introduction to the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning October 2014 to October 2019

13. AEM Center Goal
To build the capacity of states, districts, postsecondary institutions, families, publishers, and other stakeholders to increase the availability and use of high-quality accessible educational materials (AEM) and technologies that support improved learning opportunities and outcomes for students with disabilities in early learning, K-12, higher education and workforce development.

14. Increasing the Use of AEM
Accessible materials
Accessible Technologies
Infrastructural Changes
Training
Instructional strategies
Support services
Accommodations and/or modifications

15. AEM Center Objectives
Expand and disseminate knowledge about Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) and accessible technologies among stakeholder groups
Increase stakeholders’ skills and motivation for using AEM and accessible technologies to improve learning and advancement opportunities
Improve and enhance the interrelated organizational, material and structural capacities of AEM stakeholders to increase the availability and use of AEM and accessible technologies that support the participation and achievement of individuals with disabilities across the lifespan

16. Approach to TA&D
Three tiers aligned to national labels and built on promising practices used effectively by the AIM and NIMAS Centers and others.
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 with 8 states around five identified leverage points

18. Targeted TA&D
Targeted – Focused support around promising practices and ongoing challenges in the field
Responds to requests for assistance
Engages stakeholders in meaningful interactions around improving practices and deepening implementation of AEM
Provides the infrastructure and leadership needed build and sustain geographic and topical Learning Communities of Practice (LCoP) around issues of importance to the field
Develops and provides a full array of learning opportunities to all interested stakeholders (e.g. webinars, presentations)

19. Intensive TA&D
Intensive – Ongoing collaborative work with a small number of states around the implementation of AEM.
Aligned to the Critical Components of Quality Indicators for Provision of Accessible Materials
Focused on five high-several areas in order to build momentum for systems change
Ongoing work and outcomes will to be shared with all states

20. High Leverage Areas for Change
High-leverage areas of change identified in the 2014 Status of State Implementation of AEM/NIMAS Report
Procurement considerations
Self-advocacy skills of students
Provision system development
Data system development
Strategies for use of AEM and accessible technologies for learning
@AEM_Center | #aem4all

21. AEM ITA Cohort Alaska Florida Indiana Iowa Maryland Minnesota Ohio
Texas
@AEM_Center | #aem4all

22. Collaborators

23. Collaborators (2) Benetech B4E NIMAC at APH, and APH Learning Ally
SETDA
Technology Leadership
Emerging Technologies

24. AEM and SETDA Collaboration

25. State Educational Technology Directors Association
Mission: to build and increase the capacity of state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice.
Forum for:
Advocacy for policy and practice
Professional learning
Inter-state collaboration
Public-private partnerships

26. SETDA Emerging Technologies
Emerging Technologies Selections Committee
Chuck Hitchcock, Former Co-Director, AEM Center
Kirk Behnke, Former Director of TA, AEM Center
Emerging Technologies Forum
Mindy Johnson, Instructional Designer, CAST

27. State Policy Online Portal
The Digital Instructional Materials Acquisition Policies for States (DMAPS) An online database providing state and territory policies and practices related to the acquisition of digital instructional materials in K12 education.

28. Accessibility Additions
Accessible Educational Materials Steering Committee – Christine Fox and Joy Zabala
Collaboration between State Ed Tech Directors and State AEM Coordinators - IN, OH, TX, FL, MD, MN
Data Collection
Review and edits
Upload and Publish to DMAPS
Dissemination

29. AEM ITA Leaders Speak Out

30. The AEM ITA Cohort
What are the internal benefits or potential benefits of being a part of the AEM ITA Cohort?
What are the challenges?

31. The AEM ITA Cohort (2)
What are the external benefits or potential benefits of being a part of the AEM ITA Cohort?
What are the challenges?

32. SETDA and AEM Collaborative Work
How do you anticipate that the inclusion of the accessibility-related questions in the SETDA DMAPs will contribute to changes in state and local policies?

33. Internal Collaborative Work
How can collaboration between special education and general education foster increases in the acquisition and use of accessible materials and technologies?

34. SETDA and AEM Collaborative Work
How can the curricular materials selection and procurement process be improved? Who needs to be involved?

35. Collaboration Across Levels
In what ways do you anticipate that collaboration across EL, K-12, Higher Education and Workforce Development improve the availability and use of accessible materials and technologies across the lifespan?

36. Points to Ponder as we Step Forward Together to Increase the Use of AEM and Accessible Technologies

37. National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (2015)
Lesson Learned (4)…
“When AEM is explicitly incorporated into the IEP, the likelihood is increased that the student’s use of AEM will become an effective and integrated part of the learning process.”
National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (2015)

38. Lesson Learned (5)…
Use of accessible materials and traditional reading instructional are not mutually exclusive.

39. Lesson Learned (6)…
We – all of us working together - must question the widely-held thought that “reading,” is primarily as a set of visual/cognitive skills and consider the purpose of “reading.”

40. A Big Step Forward
“Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, compute and communicate using visual, audible and digital materials across disciplines and in any context.” International Literacy Association

41. “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating
“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” Kofi Anan

42. “Where there was once an observer, let there now be a participant.”

43. We’re always just a fingertip away!
Joy Zabala State Leaders See “AEM State Contacts” at goo.gl/TVBZQh