Education

Accommodations/Accessibility

• The National Center on Disability and Access to Education
  The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) improves educational services for all students through distance learning technologies. The Center's two Institutes monitor and promote distance education policies and practices that enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families.
• National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)
  Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs has awarded CAST two five-year Cooperative Agreements to establish two national centers to further develop and implement the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). NIMAS guides the production and electronic distribution of digital versions of textbooks and other instructional materials so they can be more easily converted into accessible formats.
  NIMAS Technical Specification Published for Comment, Federal Register Notice- June 29, 2005
• Instructional Materials Accessibility Act (IMAA) of 2002 (2002)
  The IMAA (HR 4582) directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) develop and publish instructional materials accessibility standards for the national electronic file format to be used by publishers of instructional materials in the preparation of electronic files suitable for efficient conversion into specialized formats; (2) establish a National Instructional Materials Accessibility Advisory Committee to provide technical expertise and guidance in creating such national electronic file format; (3) periodically review and amend such standards to reflect technological advances or changes; and (4) establish a National Instructional Materials Access Center.

ADA

• ADA Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Self-Evaluation Guide for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
  This guide is intended to serve as a resource to assist school districts in conducting their self-evaluations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This Guide was developed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in cooperation with Adaptive Environments, Inc. Funding was provided by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) as part of its ADA technical assistance initiative. Adaptive Environments also provide briefing sheets on public schools and Title II of the ADA available for a nominal fee.

Distance Education

• The National Center on Accessible Distance Learning
  The National Center on Accessible Distance Learning (AccessDL) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education (grant # OPE P333A020044) to share guidance and resources on making distance learning courses accessible to students and instructors with disabilities. It is directed by DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology).
• Distance Education: Access Guidelines for Students with Disabilities, August 1999
  These guidelines, published by the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges, are considered by many as a model for accessible distance education for higher education facilities.
  

Education Technology

• Research of Use of Assistive Technology for Education
  List of articles and websites that highlight research findings about AT practices that work in educational settings.
• National Education Technology Plan
  The National Education Technology Plan was officially released at a launch event on Friday, January 7th, 2005.
  PDF version
• Making Educational Software Accessible: Design Guidelines, Including Math & Science Solutions
  These guidelines, developed by the CPB/WGBH National Center on Accessible Media, represent an ambitious initiative to capture access challenges and solutions and present them in a format specifically designed to educate and assist educational software developers. The National Science Foundation's Program for Persons with Disabilities funds this project.

Federal

• No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
  The No Child Left Behind Act was signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The U.S. Department of Education has developed a resource page on NCLB for students, parents, teachers, and administrators.
• No Child Left Behind Act, January 27, 2002 (Note: PDF Format)
  This law prepares teachers to use educational and assistive technology. Originally called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), it was originally authorized in 1965 for five years and had been reauthorized every five years since. Now called the "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001, the enactment of this legislation is accompanied by the largest dollar increase ever in federal education aid.

Higher Education

• Web Accessibility Design Statements and Standards of Institutions of Higher Learning
  The University of Washington provides a collection of links to the web accessibility policies of many institutions of higher education.

Section 508

• California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office-Letter on Section 508 Compliance (June 11, 2001)
  Word version     PDF version
  All Chancellor's Office contracts and grants require the contractor or grantee to comply with the section 508 regulations. In addition, each district must certify that it complies with section 508 as a condition of receiving funds for 2001-02 under the Technology and Telecommunications Infrastructure Program (TTIP).

Special Education

AT | IDEA | OSEP Letters | Quality Indicators | State Resources | Transition

• AT and Special Education
  • Teleconference Series on Assistive Technology and Special Education
    In 2001, the RESNA Technical Assistance Project sponsored a four-part teleconference series presented by Jim Sheldon and Ron Hager of Neighborhood Legal Services, National Assistive Technology Advocacy Project.
    • Session #1: Overview    WORD version
      
    • Session #2: Cutting-Edge Issues    WORD version
      
    • Session #3: Special Education and Transition    WORD version
      
    • Session #4: Hypotheticals-Reviewing Records WORD version
      
    • AT Hypothetical 1    WORD version
      
    • AT Hypothetical 2    WORD version
      
    • Sources of Authority    WORD version
      

• IDEA
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004
    Public Law 108-446 amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA). The new law preserves the basic structure and civil rights guarantees of IDEA but also makes significant changes to the law.
    PDF version      HTML version
    • Brief Summary of Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) with Current Law
      National Association of Protection & Advocacy Systems Brief, December 1, 2004
    • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Analysis of Changes Made by P.L. 108-446
      Congressional Research Service Report, January 5, 2005
• OSEP Letters
  The following letters are those filed by OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) at the U.S. Department of Education specifically referencing funding AT under IDEA.
  • Policies of the Education of the Handicapped Act on Funding AT (1990)
    This document is the response letter Susan Goodman, Lawyer/Consultant, received from OSEP pertaining to the policies of the Education of the Handicapped Act (the precursor to IDEA) on funding assistive technology, especially in regard to the Individual Education Program (IEP).
  • CCTV Home Use & Time Limits for IEP Implementation (1991)
    This letter responds to a parent's question on whether a student who requires a CCTV for school use may also utilize the same equipment at home to continue studies and if there is a time limit on IEP implementation.
  • Hearing Aids (1993)
    OSEP's response to whether the school district is responsible for purchasing a hearing aid under IDEA if the hearing aid is put on the student's IEP.
  • School Liability for Family-Owned AT (1994)
    The letter addresses questions from a parent on a school and a school district's liability for a family-owned AT device used to implement a child's IEP.
  • Eyeglasses Policy (1995)
    The letter addresses a question from the Witchita, Kansas Department of Special Education on whether local educational agencies (LEAs) have an obligation to provide eye glasses to children with disabilities under Part B of IDEA (Part B).
  • Use and Transfer of Ownership of AT Device (1998)
    This letter answers questions regarding the use of AT devices purchased with federal funds under Part B of IDEA to be used by and transfer the ownership to a vocational rehabilitation program under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
  • Policy Development in Assistive Technology and IDEA (ca. 1994)
    This document, by Susan Goodman, Esq., provides an overview to definitions of AT and the significance of OSEP policy letters in response to questions about the relationship of AT to IDEA.
    
  
  
• Quality Indicators/Standards
  • QIAT (Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology)
    Hosted by the University of Kentucky's Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling, QIAT is a nationwide collegial endeavor dedicated to the development and implementation of quality indicators for Assistive Technology services in school settings. QIAT provides core indicators to help professionals and advocates improve AT services in the educational setting.
• State Resources
  The links below are resources for special education produced by several of the Assistive Technology (AT) Act state projects. These policy resources are not exhaustive of materials available from the state AT Act projects. States are encouraged to share their resources with the RESNA Technical Assistance Project. For memorandums of understanding, cooperative agreements, and guidelines for transition and AT, see Transition.
  • The Way Life Should Be: Getting AT into Local Schools
    This link is a text version of the slides presented at the RESNA 2002 25th International Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Deb Parker Wolfenden, Funding and Policy Consultant, MaineCITE Project. It provides AT points for consideration and many strategies for AT implementation in schools.
  • Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Guidelines for Preferential Procurement of Instructional Materials from Vendors
    The passage of Missouri HB 401, requires that the Missouri DESE develop guidelines for the preferential procurement of instructional materials from vendors who provide the materials in electronic formats. Missouri Assistive Technology provided technical support during the development of the guidelines.
• Transition
  • Assistive Technology and Transition (2001)
    Prepared by T. Canfield and P. Reed of the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative(WATI), this resource addresses a student with a disability requiring assistive technology to accomplish one or more functional skills and the use of that assistive technology being included in effective transition planning. The forms in this resource have been specifically designed to assist the student's team in coordinating and managing that planning. A hard copy with expandable portfolio and labeled compartments is available for purchase from WATI or by calling 920/424-2247.
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Indiana Employment Initiative, the Indiana Department of Education/Division of Special Education, the Division of Disability, Aging and Rehabilitative Services/Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the ATTAIN Project (1994)
    The goal of this agreement is to enhance transition services for students with AT needs in Indiana by improving the cooperative and collaborative efforts between all the agencies listed in the title.
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Wyoming State Department of Education and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (1997)
    This agreement changed the funding formula for AT devices for students with disabilities who are clients of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). The agreement will reinforce the need to involve VR in the school-to-work transition process.
  • Minnesota's Legislation (MS 120.188) on the Sale of Assistive Technology Devices (1996)
    In 1996, legislation was enacted that permits school districts or the Department of Economic Security to purchase AT devices, purchased for a student by the student's district or prior attendance. The law provides for the sale of AT devices when the student moves from one school district to another or transitions to the work or independent living environment. See Article 3: Special Programs. Through this legislation, the Minnesota Division of Special Education drafted Guidelines for the Sale of Assistive Technology Devices. A copy can be obtained from the Minnesota Special Education Department 651/582-8218.
  • New Mexico Technology Assistance Program [NMTAP] of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the State Department of Education and the Local Education Agency Cooperative Agreement (ca. 1994)
    The purpose of this agreement is to effect coordination between the NMTAP under the Technology Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act and the Local Education Agency under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Education of the Handicapped Act for provision of any appropriate AT device. The agreement also covers transition services.
  • South Dakota Cooperative Agreement Concerning Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities (1997)
    This agreement was made among the following agencies: Department of Education and Cultural Affairs, Office of Special Education and Division of Workforce and Career Preparation; Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services, Division of Service to the Blind and Visually Impaired, Division of Mental Health, and Division of Developmental Disabilities; Department of Labor; and the Department of Social Services. This agreement presents a common policy and conceptual framework for addressing interagency transition planning at the local level. Cooperating agencies will benefit from maximum coordination of services, more efficient utilization of agency resources, increased service options, and improved interagency communication.

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