Google for Education's Guardian's Guide to Tools for Children with Disabilities during Distance Learning provides strategies and ways to access technology that are built in and readily accessible to all learners. With sections for:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law reauthorized in 1997, requires schools to consider a student’s need for assistive technology devices and services whenever an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is written. In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require schools to provide assistive technology for students with disabilities, if needed to assure equal access to the school’s programs and services.
AEM include print- and technology-based educational materials designed to be usable across the widest range of individual variability. You might also hear about AIM, or accessible instructional materials. Whatever they’re called, the basic concept is the same: any materials or technologies used in a classroom or other learning environment need to be usable by everyone. If we’re talking about print materials like books or worksheets, sometimes that means those materials have to be converted into specialized formats like braille, large print, audio or digital text. If we’re talking about digital materials like e-books, websites, or apps, those materials and technologies need to be created and presented so that all learners can interact with them. In other words, materials and technologies used in any learning environment need to be accessible.
The purpose of assistive technology (AT) assessment is to identify technology options that will accommodate the needs of students with disabilities. Such options should increase, improve, or maintain student functioning in educational, vocational, and community environments. When functional capabilities are enhanced, individuals with disabilities (a) experience greater control of their lives; (b) can contribute more fully to the environment around them; and (c) are better equipped to participate in home, school, work, and/or community settings. AT helps support individuals with disabilities and assists with achieving the four outcomes outlined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004): equal opportunities, full participation, economic self-sufficiency, and independent living. An AT assessment can facilitate the selection of AT options that will contribute to these outcomes.