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Strategy for Inclusion of Accessible IT in Educational Settings:
An Example of Using Technology Part D Funding (No Child Left Behind) in Developing State/District Education Technology-Related Plans

Schools should consider accessibility in any decision related to acquiring technology. Accessible technology will greatly increase the ability of students, teachers, and other individuals with disabilities to participate equally in all programs. Federal law prohibits public school districts from excluding individuals with disabilities from any program or activities offered. Considering accessibility when purchasing technology makes good fiscal sense and also helps public schools meet their legal obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Federal funding for school technology purchases are available from a number of programs like the EETT (Enhancing Education through Technology - Part D of the No Child Left Behind Act). Additionally, Section 254 of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 also provides for rate reduction when services are provided to educational institutions. If schools consider accessibility when acquiring computer hardware and software, their technology systems will be more accessible to all users and will be more easily adaptable for people with disabilities. Those responsible for making decisions regarding the purchase of education technology must be made aware of access barriers and the resources that help overcome them. Schools should incorporate accessibility concerns into procurement procedures and into all decisions regarding use of information technology. In order to understand the full range of issues, schools should involve all stakeholders, including special and general education teachers, technology coordinators, and users of accessible technology. If the technology purchased is inaccessible at the beginning, it will then have to be retrofitted.

The New Mexico Public Education Department Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Learning Technologies is developing technology plans that include all stakeholders, including those with disabilities. See “New Mexico Plan Will Use Technology to Leave No Child Behind”.

The following is a sample policy strategy intended to provide guidance on using the funding available through EETT to purchase technology that is accessible.

Application Guidance for Formula Funding to meet Federal requirements in the No Child Left Behind: Enhancing Education through Technology

All NM Local Education Agencies' (LEA) Technology Plans
Must Include The Following:

Strategies for improving academic achievement and teacher effectiveness – a description of how the applicant will use Enhancing Education Through Technology funds:

1) to improve the academic achievement as measured against State Content Standards, Benchmarks, and Performance Standards, including technology literacy, of all students attending schools served by the LEA, and

2) to improve the capacity of all teachers in schools served by the LEA to integrate technology effectively into curriculum and instruction.

LEA Goals (in NM) – must have a description of the LEA’s specific goals, aligned with the goals of the State Technology Plan, for using advanced technology to improve student academic achievement. Although the State Technology Plan is under revision to meet federal guidelines, the Council on Technology in Education has recommended the following goals for the revised plan:

State Technology Plan Goals (set out by the NMCITE):

1. Learning is significantly improved, using appropriate technologies, leading to high achievement in State Board of Education adopted content standards.

2. Educators have the capacity to establish student-centered, technology-enhanced learning environments that result in increased student performance and economic viability.

3. K-12 students and educators in public schools have affordable, universal access to high-speed, robust telecommunications, and schools modernized for technology.

• Accessible IT guidance as added in “Steps to Increased Accessibility” ( a federal guidance requirement in EETT Part D)

4. Funding available to support planning, implementing, and assessing initiatives for integrating technology into New Mexico classrooms and schools.

• Within Goal 3; Steps to increased accessibility– a description of the steps the LEA will take to ensure that all students and teachers have increased access to technology. The description must include how the LEA will use Ed. Tech. funds 1) to help students in high-poverty and high-needs schools, or schools identified for improvement or corrective action under section 1116 of Title I, and 2) to help ensure that teachers are prepared to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction. Section 1116 of Title I may be accessed on-line at:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/pg2.html#sec1116.

We added the following Accessible Information Technology Policy Areas in NM State Technology Plan: Steps to increased accessibility (Goal 3 with NM State Technology Plan)

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Assure accessible IT for the diverse needs (including disabilities) of students, teachers, staff, and administrators including:

1) Barrier free learning environments: Assure physical and program accessibility according to Title II of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

2) Assure accessibility to:

• Computer Hardware
• Software
• Operating Systems
• Internet/Intranet
• Multi-Media Facilities
• Office Equipment
• Telephone Systems

3) Assure that all technology purchased is accessible by reviewing functional performance criteria that ensues that user input, output, and controls of E&IT products include at least one alternative hardware/software mode that does not require:

• Vision
• Perception
• Hearing
• Manual dexterity
• Strength / Range of Motion
• Speech
• Cognitive Skills

4) Assure that there is a process for preparing documents in alternative formats. Policy should address preparation of information, documentation, support and training in such areas as alternative formatting via optical character recognition (OCR) scanning regarding print-to-electronic text.

Relevant Guidelines for the above points 2) - 4) pertain to:

a) Rehabilitation Act - Section 504 - 34 CFR Part 104

b Rehabilitation Act - Section 508 - 36 CFR Part 1194.41

c) Telecommunications Act - Section 255 - 36 CFR Part 1193.33

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Note: Other sections of "Part D" Guidance Areas that might be covered:

• Promotion of curricula and strategies that promote technology integration – a description of how the LEA will identify and promote curricula and teaching strategies that integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction, based on a review of relevant and current research, leading to improvements in student academic achievement, including a timeline.
  
• Professional development – a description of how the LEA will provide ongoing, sustained professional development for teachers, principals, administrators, and school library media personnel to promote the effective use of technology in the classroom or library media center.

• Technology type and costs – a description of the type and costs of technology to be acquired with Enhancing Education Through Technology funds, including provisions for interoperability of components. LEA's may wish to consider companies with whom the State has established pricing agreements. These are found at: http://www.state.nm.us/spd/swpa.html. Also, LEA's may wish to consider information technology standards and policies for State agencies. These are found at: http://cio.state.nm.us/.

• Coordination with other resources – a description of how the LEA will coordinate activities funded through the Enhancing Education Through Technology program with technology-related activities supported with funds from other sources, including funds from the state Educational Technology Fund.

• Innovative delivery strategies – a description of how the LEA will encourage the development and use of innovative strategies for the delivery of specialized or rigorous courses and curricula through the use of technology, including distance-learning opportunities, particularly in areas that would not otherwise have access to such courses or curricula due to geographical distances or insufficient resources.

• Parental involvement – a description of how the LEA will use technology effectively to promote parental involvement and increase communication with parents, including a description of how parents will be informed of the technology used.

• Collaboration with adult literacy service providers – a description of how the district Technology Plan will be developed in collaboration with adult literacy service providers, where adult literacy service providers are available.

• Accountability measures – a description of the process and accountability measures that the LEA will use to evaluate the extent to which activities funded through Enhancing Education Through Technology are effective in:
  1) integrating technology into curricula and instruction,
  2) increasing the ability of teachers to teach, and
  3) enabling students to demonstrate proficiency against the State Content Standards, Benchmarks and Performance Standards.

• Supporting resources – a description of the supporting resources, such as services, software, other electronically delivered learning materials, on-line assessments, and print resources that will be acquired to ensure successful and effective uses of technology.

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DiverseAbility.Net is a resource of the Disability Law Resource Project and New Mexico Technology Assistance Program . All are federally funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, U.S. Department of Education.

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