
AEM for Access
By Heather Maydak
AEM, or accessible educational materials, is crucial for ensuring all students have equal opportunities to the curriculum. Regardless of whether a student has a learning disability, visual impairment, or physical disability affecting their access to standard print or digital text, AEM ensures universally accessible content across all subjects.
Four Steps to Match AEM
- Needs Assessment: Prior to identifying suitable accessible formats, a comprehensive needs assessment must be conducted, addressing student characteristics, task requirements, and environmental factors.
Student
-
- Can the student decode?
- Is the student reading at or near grade level?
- Are the materials visually accessible?
- Are they able to hold a book and turn its pages?
- Is the student's positioning, posture, and stamina adequate?
Tasks
-
- What assignments must students finish, including reading, essays, and group projects?
- Is task completion within the allotted time a realistic expectation for the student?
- Do they grasp the directions?
- What obstacles hinder task completion, including print disabilities, inaccessible materials, and unavailable assistive technologies?
Environment
-
- Evaluate the physical setting, considering student-to-teacher/staff ratios and resources like instructional materials and technology.
- Note the classroom's sensory details, including sight (lighting, clutter) and sound (noise levels).
- Format Selection: Determine the appropriate accessible formats—Braille, large print, audio, or accessible digital text—based on the student's individual requirements.
- Material Acquisition: Secure necessary formats from approved media providers, including Bookshare, Louis Braille Plus, and Learning Ally. For alternative formats or materials, please contact your state’s AEM representative.
- Use with Support: Identify the training, instructional strategies, and additional accommodations needed for the student to use the accessible materials effectively and independently.
Leave a comment