Instructional Materials for Students with Visual Impairments

Kirk Behnke M.Ed, ATPCecilia Robinson M.Ed

State Leadership Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Network

Region 4 ESC 2

Agenda• Texas Road Map for Accessible Instructional

Materials (AIM)• Eligibility• Print Disability• Specialized Formats• Acquisition of AIM• AIM Navigator• Resources• Comments and Suggestions2012 Texas Focus

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The Texas Road Map forAccessible Instructional Materials

• Developed to help give a visual • GPS to help you navigate the way through

accessible instructional material acquisition

• Provides 2 routes:Eligibility and acquisition routes

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Eligibility1. Blind persons: visual acuity is 20/200 or less

in the better eye with correction or visual field no greater than 20°

2. Persons certified by competent authority: even with correction, visual disability is preventing the reading of standard printed materials

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Eligibility3. Persons certified by competent authority:

unable to read or use standard printed materials due to physical limitations

4. Persons certified by competent authority: have reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading of printed materials in a normal manner

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Print Disability

• Student /child is not able to use standard print materials

• Frequently the result of a visual impairment, physical disability or reading disability

• Meets copyright criteria for specialized formats

• Federal definition of “Print Disability” www.texasat.net/default.aspx?name=resources.aim2

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Accessible Instructional Materials

• Included in IDEA 2004• Requires that core instructional materials be

provided in a timely manner in specialized formats when needed by students with disabilities

• 4 specialized formats: Braille, large print, audio and digital text

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Braille• Tactile literacy medium used by

learners who are blind• Uses six dots, presented in various

combinations, to represent text, numbers, punctuation, and special signs and symbols

• Can be accessed using technology such as a PDA (e.g. note-taker) or braille display

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Large Print

• Enlarged copy of regular-print-sized materials• Facilitates ease of reading for learners with

low vision• At least 18 point and larger• Readability depends on font type, use of white

space and other features (e.g. bold or underline vs. italicized text)

• APH Print Guidelines for Document Designwww.aph.org/edresearch/lpguide.htm

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Audio• Sound files • Does not include text• Includes recorded files, usually saved as Wave

or MP3 files• Files can be accessed using the computer

(e.g. Windows Media Player) or portable media players (e.g. iPod, Book Port Plus, VictorReader Stratus)

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Digital Text

• May be referred to as electronic text or E-text

• Provides visual and auditory supports• Available in various formats such as online

HTML or EPub • Can be accessed using specialized software

(e.g. Read Hear™) or hardware (e.g. Apex, VictorReader Stratus, VictorReader Stream)

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http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147487109

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Authorized Users for Texas

• Bookshare http://www.benetech.org/abt

• Learning Allyhttp://www.learningally.org/texas

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Publishers and Others

• American Printing House for the Blind is also a federally-funded Accessible Media Provider

• Accessible materials can also be purchased from publishers (e.g. Pearson) and other commercial resources http://aim.cast.org/learn/practice/acquisitiondistribution/commercial

• Top 10 questions to ask publishers:http://www.texasat.net/default.aspx?name=resources.aim

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Determination of MaterialsThings to consider:

Learner’s needs Recommendations from personnel Availability Implementation and support Parental involvement Environments Technologies

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AIM Navigator• Interactive tool to facilitate the process of decision-

making of AIM for individual learners• Process consists of 4 major decision points:

determination of need selection of format(s) acquisition of format(s) selection of supports for use

• Useful resources provided to help guide the ARD committeehttp://aim.cast.org/experience/decision-making_tools/aim_navigator

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Resources• Texas Education Agency Instructional Materials and

Educational Technology www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147487109

• Texas Assistive Technology Networkwww.texasat.net

• State Leadership Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Networkwww.esc11.net/Page/1321

• TSBVI: Accessible Textbooks Clearinghouse

www.tsbvi.edu/resources/1147-accessible-textbooks-clearinghouse

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Resources• AIM Consortium

http://aimconsortium.cast.org/ • National Center on Accessible Instructional

Materialshttp://aim.cast.org

• DAISY Consortium www.daisy.org

• Louis Plus from American Printing House for the Blindwww.aph.org

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Resources• National Library Service for the Blind and

Physically Handicapped www.loc.gov/nls/

• Learning Ally: Learning and Listening www.learningally.org/Educators/28/

• American Foundation for the Blind: Family Connect® -- Education www.familyconnect.org/parentsitehome.asp?SectionID=72

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Comments/Suggestions

How can we help you?

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Contact Us at Region 4

• Kirk Behnkekbehnke@esc4.net 713.744.6559

• Cecilia Robinsoncrobinson@esc4.net 713.744.6379

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