ENSURING ACCESS TO THE GENERAL CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS WITH

PRINT DISABILITIES THROUGH ACCESSIBLE MEDIA

OSEP Leadership Mega Conference August 1-3, 2011

Crystal City, Virginia

Norma Villanueva Program Director District of Columbia Public Schools Office of Special Education norma.villanueva@dc.gov

MelesseDemissay Assistive Technology Specialist District of Columbia Rehabilitation Services Administration,

Division Services for the Blind melesse.demissay@dc.gov

Betsy Beaumon Vice President and General Manager Bookshare betsybeaumon@benetech.org

Presented By:

 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EFAHCA): Access to special education Access to public school buildings

1997 Individuals With disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Access to the general curriculum Involvement in the general curriculum Progress with the general curriculum

20404 Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA):

Improve access to the general curriculum with NIMAC and NIMAS provisions, and processes for the preparation, delivery, and purchase of digitized instructional materials

The Evolution of Accessibility:

Challenges with accessing and giving meaning to text

Students who are blind or visually impaired

Students who have physical disabilities which make holding a book or turning pages difficult

Students who have learning disabilities which affect reading

Print Disabilities

Students without print disabilities receive textbooks and other core instructional materials during the first days of school

  Students with print disabilities

typically receive textbooks and other core instructional materials weeks or even months after school has begun and sometimes, not at all

Print Disabilities

Failure to receive accessible texts and other core instructional materials at the same time as non-disabled peers results in poor academic and post-secondary outcomes for students with print disabilities

Print Disabilities

Youth with low incidence disabilities (such as print disabilities) show the lowest rates of engagement in school of all disability categories (U.S. Department of Education, 2005)

Youth with print disabilities experience high rates of segregation into separate classes, separate programs, and separate schools

Only 45% of students with severe visual impairments have a high school diploma (American Federation of the Blind, 2006)

Poor Academic Outcomes:

Lack of accessible textbooks and other core instructional materials=low rates of school engagement

Lack of accessible textbooks and other core instructional materials=inability to keep up with non-disabled peers; academic failure; segregation into separate classes, programs, and schools

Lack of accessible textbooks and other core instructional materials=frustration with academic failure; high school drop out; and simply aging out of the educational system

Correlation Between Poor Academic Outcomes and Inability to Access the General Curriculum

Among all high school graduates, those with severe visual impairments are about as likely as are those with full sight to have taken college courses, but are less likely to have completed college with an earned degree (American Federation of the Blind, 2006)

Youth with low incidence disabilities show the lowest rates of engagement in work or preparation for work shortly after high school of all disability categories (U.S. Department of education, 2005)

Individuals with visual impairments are among the most likely to work relatively few hours (Marder, Cardoso, & Wagner, 2003)

Individuals who are legally blind have a 70% rate of unemployment (Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind, 2011)

Resulting Poor Post-Secondary Outcome

Bookshare Assistive Technology

Increasing Access to Textbooks and Other Core Instructional Materials

Conduct Functional Vision Assessment, Learning Media Assessment, Educational Assessment, and/or Occupational Therapy Assessment

Conduct Assistive Technology Assessment

Assessment: The Foundation Upon Which Accessibility is Built

Assistive technology (AT) is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitation devices for individuals with disabilities.

Assistive technology also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using such devices.

Assistive technology promotes greater independence and more positive outcomes by enabling people to perform tasks that are difficult or otherwise impossible to accomplish.

Assessment: The Foundation Upon Which Accessibility is Built

Download text from Bookshare’s online library of accessible media

Based on assessment results, recommend to the student’s IEP team the most appropriate AT device to facilitate use:

Audio Electronic Braille Text and speech Enlarged Text

Bookshare + Assistive Technology = Accessibility

Victor Reader Stream

Victor Reader Stream• reads digital talking books • navigates through book shelves, such as textbooks,

novels, magazines, personal text and voice recorded notes and music

• uses built in text to speech to read books in text format• includes an integrated microphone to record voice notes • portable - no need to bring CDs … it stores everything in

its SD memory card, providing up to 15 hours of uninterrupted listening time 

• plays NLS download books and NLS book cartridges• plays back through stereo headphones or secondary

small speakers• uses USB port to transfer books and music from PC

Victor Reader Soft

Victor Reader Soft a computer application for reading digital

audio books provides easy navigation through a book

structure combines the audio and text mode that let

students read the text on screen simultaneously with audio input and is fully accessible to print disabled persons

navigates by page, chapter, heading and section

inserts bookmarks to return to a spot or to mark important passages

Carlos Using Victor Reader Soft

Wallace Using Victor Reader Soft

Wallace Dews A laptop isn’t just a fun piece of technology

for Wallace Dews, a student at Woodrow Wilson High School. 

It’s the difference between being able to read his book for English class and not.

Wallace is visually impaired, and his IEP team provided him with assistive technology like a laptop computer and Victor Reader Soft so that he can read his books aloud or zoom in text to access the print with his remaining sight.

Wallace Dews“Before I started using the assistive technology, I

did not like to read booksat all. I couldn’t even really see the words on the

page,”said Wallace. “Once I started using the screen reader, reading

got alot easier for me because I could listen, and I am a

goodlistener and comprehend better by listening.”

 

Read OutLoud

Read OutLoud Text-to-speech reads Bookshare content Has eHighlighter and Note tools Provides access to classroom content Allows students with print disabilities to access electronic

books available from Bookshare Supports reading comprehension Enables students to highlight key information and create an

outline to organize their content Permits Bookshare members to download the

Read:Out:Loud 6 Bookshare Edition for free Provides access through both the Windows and the Mac

version of Bookshare

Braillenote Appex, 32 Refreshable Braille

display

Braillenote Appex Key features 18 or 32 refreshable braille cells Speech output with choice of TTS Stereo speakers Internal Omni Directional Microphone Built-in Ethernet port Built-in Wi-Fi Built-In Bluetooth 2.1 One high-speed USB 2.0 3 high speed USB 2.0 host ports Optional GPS receiver via Bluetooth

BraillenoteAppex Features Word Processor: Translates between Braille and

text formats including Microsoft Word Book Reader: Reads books from Bookshare,

Learning Ally, audible and numerous other sources. Reads Braille or text formats

Allows students to listen to audio books, from sources such as National Library Services (NLS) and Learning Ally and offers powerful DAISY navigation

Students are able to use the Web Browser and E-Mail

Students use Voice Memos: Record lectures, class notes and memos

Media Player: Permits students tolisten in stereo to MP3, WAV and Windows Media files.

Krystian Williams

Krystian Williams Enjoys reading Bookshare books with the

Braillenote refreshable Braille cells. Krystian likes having the choice of Text-To-Speech

audio feature on his braillenote. He can carry his Braillenote device anywhere. He is currently reading the Harry Potter series.

Each book in the collection can take up to 15 volumes of Braille books to transcribe.

An entire book in the Harry Potter series can be downloaded onto an SD card, which prevents Krystian from having to carry too many heavy Braille books around. Instead, he can read the Braille directly from his Braillenote device.

iPad

iPad

• Mainstream, portable device with accessible features for blind and visually impaired students

• Voice Over - a Text-To-Speech• Zoom Feature – a text magnification ability• Contrast Adjustment - Black on white or

White on Black• Read-To-Go Apps - to read the Bookshare

books.• Books can be converted as PDF or EPUB

format and sync with iPad

Crichelle Brown

Crichelle Brown

Crichelle Brown, who has held multiple leadership positions in her school, now reads using large print on an iPad. She commented, “I was always behind. I had to wait so long for my books while they enlarged the print.  Now I have several choices of college for next year and have to decide where I want to go. There are no barriers in front of me. They have been knocked down.”

Switch access

Switches

Switch Access Through switch access, students with physical

disabilities are able to: access computer applications perform simple tasks, such as click and

activate respond to a computer prompt scan and select the right choice switch access technology enhances students’

expressive and receptive communication skills and allows students to learn with their classmates in inclusive settings

Sabrina and Her parents

Sabrina Sabrina suffers from paralysis, and as a result,

she is unable to hold a book, turn the pages, or access her computer without assistive and adaptive devices.

She is now able to read grade-level bookswith Victor Reader Soft using her laptop computer with switch access.

She is able to turn the book on and off, pause and resume play, and control the page navigation with switches activated by head and finger movement.

The switch access and the ability to control the page movement has empowered Sabrina and allowed her to participate in an inclusive learning environment.

Adopt a culture of accountability for ALL students AND their educational achievement

Fully embrace technology as the means by which students with print disabilities can access the general curriculum

Speak in terms of services and supports rather than of specialized programs

Make the assignment of a dedicated aide the last resort rather than the first resort

Assume that the general education class is the best and least restrictive educational environment

Commit unconditionally to ensuring that students with print disabilities receive textbooks and other core instructional materials at the same time as their non-disabled peers

Take equal access to the general curriculum seriously Practice the principals of universal design of instruction Move from a culture of enabling and “care taking” to a culture of

empowering and facilitating students’ long-term independence

Necessary Paradigm Shifts for School Districts Wishing to Duplicate This Model of Text Accessibility for Students With Print Disabilities:

Increases receipt of textbooks and other core instructional materials at the same time as for students without print disabilities

Improves academic achievement Enhances opportunities for positive post-

secondary outcomes Increases time spent in general education

settings with non-disabled peers Increases access to the general curriculum Reduces need for dedicated aides Facilitates students’ long-term independence

Benefits of Bookshare + Technology