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OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY
FAQ
[OCR-00060]
Page 9
In addition, the school purchases the tablet computers in sufficient numbers to loan them to students with visual impairments under the same terms and conditions as it provides the electronic book readers to sighted students. Here, the timely provision of electronic books on accessible tablet computers provides students with visual impairments access to the same educational opportunities and benefits in an equally effective and equally integrated manner.
An accommodation that would not be appropriate in this example would be simply providing a student with an aide to read an electronic book to the student. An aide who is available to read the electronic book to the student only at the school during designated times would not be equivalent to the access provided to sighted students using electronic book readers who would be able to read their library books any time and at any location.
Other Federal Guidance
- Is there any other information available from the Federal government that offers additional guidance about accessibility and emerging technology?
A: Yes. Additional sources of guidance and information include:
U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, National Education Technology Plan, http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010.
- Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities, http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/aim/index.html.
U.S. Department of Education Grantees
Accessible Media Production and Dissemination
- National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC), http://www.nimac.us.
- Bookshare for Education, http://www.bookshare.org.
- Described and Captioned Media Program, http://www.dcmp.org.
- Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic), http://www.learningally.org.