Tag: Instructional Materials

Medical Doctor Certification No Longer Required for Reading Disabilities

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From the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (NC-AEM)…

NLS Publishes New Regulations: Medical Doctor Certification No Longer Required for Reading Disabilities

student with stack of booksWe’re pleased to inform you of important regulatory changes that should ease access to accessible formats of materials for students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia.

Background

In March of 2020, we sent a notification about changes to U.S. copyright law that have an impact on students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and may also qualify to receive accessible formats of materials derived from the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). At that time, the Library of Congress Technical Corrections Act of 2019 had amended terminology for persons eligible to receive accessible materials consistent with the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (MTIA).

Please see the following section of our website for details about that March 2020 notification: NIMAS Terms Clarified Post Marrakesh. You may also recall that in January of 2020 the U.S. Department of Education included information and language about the impact of changes made by the MTIA within procedures for receiving a FFY 2020 Part B grant award. 

Update

On February 12, 2021, the National Library Service (NLS) published the regulations that go along with the Library of Congress Technical Corrections Act of 2019. In addition to expanding the list of persons who may certify a student’s eligibility for accessible formats, the Library of Congress removed the requirement for certification by a medical doctor for those with reading disabilities. Educators, school psychologists, and certified reading specialists are now among the professionals authorized to certify students with reading disabilities.

Read the Library of Congress’s final rule: Loans of Library Materials for Blind and Other Print-Disabled Persons: A Rule by the Library of Congress on 02/12/2021.

The National AEM Center will be providing technical assistance to states and districts to support the implementation of these changes. Our team welcomes any immediate questions or concerns. Please contact us at aem@cast.org.

In these otherwise challenging times, we’re relieved to celebrate this advancement in access with you, your students, and their families.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Curry
Director of Technical Assistance, CAST
Director of the National AEM Center

 

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) issues new guidelines

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NIMAC logoNational Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) has issued new eligibility guidelines for their services. The guidelines have been revised to align them with changes to copyright made by the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (MTIA).

While the new guidelines are important for NSL users, they also have an impact on National Instructional Materials Access Standard – NIMAS eligibility criteria. The revised Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 – IDEA 2004 requires that students have an IEP and a qualifying disability in order to be eligible for materials produced from NIMAS. For the qualifying disability criterion, the legislation points to the NLS guidelines. For this reason, it is recommended that all National Instructional Materials Access Center – NIMAC users review the new guidelines.

A significant and positive change for NIMAS noted is that the pool of professionals that qualify to certify eligibility has been expanded to read:

(2) Eligibility must be certified by one of the following: doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, ophthalmologist, optometrist, psychologist, registered nurse, therapist, and professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or welfare agencies (such as an educator, a social worker, case worker, counselor, rehabilitation teacher, certified reading specialist, school psychologist, superintendent, or librarian).

The NIMAC will soon be updating its Limitation of Use Agreements and Coordination Agreements to incorporate the updated language, and providing additional guidance related to the change.

 

7th Annual CAST UDL Symposium!

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The following comes from CAST…

Located near Boston, CAST is a nonprofit education research and development organization that created the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and Guidelines, now used the world over to make learning more inclusive.

Register now for the 7th Annual CAST UDL Symposium!

Education2020 was a year for the history books, challenging us to make dramatic, unexpected changes quickly. We also confirmed that radical change in teaching and learning is possible. But 2020 also illuminated barriers to learning like never before. How do we ensure that the future is intentionally planned in a way that achieves the outcomes we hope for?

The 7th Annual CAST UDL Symposium will highlight promising work taking place in the field and will also serve as a forum to think about how we can begin to intentionally design for a better future right now. This year’s event is not about UDL as it has always been done. It is about the dramatic changes that we hope to see in the future and the innovations that can lead us there. Join us for a learning and networking experience filled with connected conversations that elevate our thinking around UDL and the future designed.

Use this link to register for the 7th Annual CAST UDL Symposium now.

Learn more about the CAST UDL Symposium by visiting our website.

Apple’s Vision for Learning with iPad

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Voice Over Utility logo from AppleApple has published a new resource for educators about using iPad for learning. Separated into four sections: Connect, Collaborative, Creative, and Personal, the resource PDF provides information on topics such as accessibility, productivity, creative projects for learners and apps for education. In addition, the resource provides links to free curricular and learning resources and professional learning opportunities.

Use this link to view/download Apple’s Vision for Learning with iPad

 

Imageshare 3.0 released

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groups of students and teacher in classroom viewing digital contentFrom the DIAGRAM Center…

The DIAGRAM Center is thrilled to announce the public release of Imageshare 3.0!

With over 2500 resources made up of over 3500 individual files covering common topics in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), gone are the days of spending hours hand crafting tactiles for your students.  Imageshare 3.0 is the beginning of a true one-stop-shop for all you multi-modal needs.

We will be hosting a webinar unveiling Imageshare 3.0 in the coming weeks so make sure to keep an eye out for the registration announcement. And if you are new to the Imageshare project you may wish to check out the getting started video to get an overview of how it works (warning – video is on auto-start).

If you have questions, feedback or wish to provide resources to the collection please feel free to email Amaya directly or reach out to the team at info@diagramcenter.org.

Visit and start using Imageshare 3.0…

 

Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) contest

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Pictogram of Audio Description logoThe American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project (ACB-ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) are cosponsoring an exciting opportunity for young people who are blind and visually impaired: The Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) contest. Students aged 7 to 21 can participate in one of four categories.

Multimedia experiences are integral to public, private, and special education curriculum. Audio description provides access to all the visual images of the films and videos that young people who are sighted enjoy.

Students can choose a described video from the thousands of titles available through DCMP, libraries, or video streaming services.

Reviews can be submitted in writing, in braille, or via an audio recording. Entries can also be submitted via email or postal mail.

Deadline for entries is Friday, January 22, 2021. Contest winners in each category will be chosen by February 19, 2021, and the grand-prize winner will receive an iPad Mini! Each first-place winner will receive a $100 iTunes gift card. Second-place winners will receive a $50 iTunes gift card, and the third-place winners will receive a $25 iTunes gift card. Each supporting teacher who has a first-place winning student will be awarded a $100 Amazon gift card.

Learn More about the Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) contest

Reliable Source of Ebooks for Special Education Students

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Back to School 2020: Special Education Students Can Learn Anywhere with Bookshare

Bookshare logoThe following comes from Bookshare…

Some schools are offering blended learning where students spend a few days in down-sized classrooms and the other days doing online classes from home. Still other schools are starting with 100% distance learning and then phasing in on-site classes to small cohorts of students in “learning pods.”

No matter what the school environment looks like, the stakes are even higher for students with learning differences. How can teachers provide books in alternate formats so students with reading barriers like dyslexia, blindness, and cerebral palsy can complete assignments, no matter where and how learning is taking place?

Bookshare Makes the New Reality of Education Less Uncertain…read more about Bookshare

To help teachers prepare for a successful back to school, the Bookshare staff has assembled a collection of valuable resources, tips, step-by-step guides, video tutorials, curated reading lists, and webinars. Visit the back-to-school resource page for details…

 

Changes to AEM and NIMAS terms

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From the National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials…

Recent federal statutory developments have impacted the provision of accessible educational materials, specifically those sourced from NIMAS files. The following changes mean that certain aspects of the AEM Navigator are now outdated:

  1. Definitions of key NIMAS-related terms have been updated.
  2. The NIMAC is now permitted to accept NIMAS files sourced from digital instructional materials.

First, as a result of changes to Copyright Law in response to the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, key NIMAS-related terms have been updated. See our recent announcement NIMAS Terms Clarified Post Marrakesh to learn about the new terms “eligible person” and “accessible format.” The definition of “eligible person” has implications for the guidance that the AEM Navigator provides for who can use materials created from NIMAS source files from the NIMAC. We are currently waiting on the Library of Congress for regulations that will update the process currently outlined in the AEM Navigator.

Second, the U.S. Department of Education recently published a Notice of Interpretation in the Federal Register permitting the NIMAC to accept NIMAS files sourced from digital instructional materials. Previously, as reflected throughout the AEM Navigator, the NIMAC was permitted to accept NIMAS files from print instructional materials only. We are currently working with our stakeholders to develop new guidance and technical assistance to support educators with navigating a student’s need for accessible materials, whether those materials start as print or as digital.

We look forward to providing you with a new version of the AEM Navigator. The timeline primarily depends on when the Library of Congress  publishes procedures related to the new term “eligible person.”  While we don’t expect to be able to replace the AEM Navigator Online Tool due to the technology now being outdated, we will certainly build the best experience possible for you and your team.

If you have questions or comments regarding upcoming changes to the AEM Navigator, please contact us at aem@cast.org.

Remote Learning With DCMP Accessible Videos

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groups of students and teacher in classroom viewing digital contentThe Described and Captioned Media Program is the nation’s leading source for accessible educational content, providing services for students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.

Families and school personnel with early learners through Grade 12 students can register for free access to over 6,000 Educational Media titles on-demand and on DVD. The DCMP Learning Center contains a wealth of information related to education, accessibility, deafness, blindness, and other related topics. DCMP provides Media Accessibility Guidelines through their Captioning Key and Description Key, used by media professionals as well as amateurs around the world.

Read: How to Set Up, Use, and DCMP Share Student Accounts

About DCMP

DCMP membership provides unlimited access to thousands of accessible educational videos. We’re fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education, so there are no costs associated with any of our services. Family members, school personnel, and other professionals who work with early learners through Grade 12 students with a hearing or vision loss do qualify for membership.

 

Photo credit: Image licensed through Creative Commons by Hero Images 

Providing Related Services to Enhance the Continuity of Learning

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OSEP Webinar: Highlighting Strategies and Practices in Providing Related Services to Enhance the Continuity of Learning During COVID-19

June 29, 2020
2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT

Ideas that Work - Office of Special Education Programs - U.S. Department of Education

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is hosting the second in a series of webinars focused on ready-to-use resources, tools, and practices from OSEP partners to support the educational, developmental, behavioral, and social/emotional needs of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities through remote and distance learning.

This second webinar will focus on the provision of related services. In addition to highlighting OSEP resources, we will be joined by representatives from several of our related service national organizations. Additional information will be posted on OSEP’s COVID-19 Resource Page. 

Use this link to register for this OSEP webinar…

If you have any questions about the OSEP webinar, please contact the Webinar Series planning team at osep-meeting@air.org.