Student Scenarios
The following examples are presented to illustrate how an LEA could provide AEM for various students.
Student 1
A ninth-grade student who is blind is determined to need embossed braille for Algebra I; braille ready format (.brf) for Oklahoma History, Physical Science, and French; and audio for English Literature. The teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) contacts Liberty Braille to request the student’s Algebra I textbook in embossed braille. Liberty Braille sends the textbook to the school for the student to use and return upon completion of the Algebra I course. The TVI contacts ABLE Tech for help determining which AEM providers can supply the student’s educational materials in the audio and braille ready formats and for assistance in determining what AT will be necessary. The school borrows a refreshable braille display and an audiobook player from ABLE Tech for assessment purposes. ABLE Tech assists the school in obtaining organizational memberships in Bookshare (free to school) and Learning Ally (scaled-fee), and downloading the student’s materials in the desired formats. Following the successful trial loan, the school borrows a refreshable braille display and an audiobook player from the AIM Center at the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for the student to use for the remainder of the school year.
Student 2
A second-grade student with dyslexia is determined to need her materials for reading, science, and social studies in a digital format to be read on a portable device with a text-to-speech feature. The school has a Bookshare account and the teacher is registered as a sponsor. The teacher documents the student’s print disability and registers her as a member under the school’s organizational Bookshare account. The teacher then finds the student’s textbooks and other required reading materials in the Bookshare library and assists the student in accessing the materials using the Bookshare Web Reader on a school-supplied laptop.
Student 3
A TVI is seeking to determine if a sixth-grade student who currently receives large print textbooks from Liberty Braille would benefit from the use of an iPad with digital text for some of her educational materials. The TVI contacts ABLE Tech to borrow an iPad for a trial loan. ABLE Tech sends an iPad with an accessible book reading app to the school for assessment purposes, and offers technical assistance to help the school obtain an organizational membership in Bookshare and download the student’s books. After determining that the iPad with the accessible book reading app is a good solution for the student, the TVI borrows an iPad from Liberty Braille for the student to use for the remainder of the school-term. The TVI also assists the student’s family in obtaining an individual membership in Bookshare so that the student can access additional reading materials throughout the year.
Student 4
An IEP team has determined that an eleventh-grade student who is reading below grade-level and whose primary language is Spanish needs educational materials in digital format to be read with text-to-speech. IDEA 2004 requires that schools provide AEM to students who need them. However, since this student does not have a qualifying print disability, she is not eligible to receive materials from Bookshare. Therefore, the school requests a digital copy from the publisher or permission to copy and scan the student’s materials into electronic text. The teacher also contacts ABLE Tech for assistance in considering AT to convert the student’s educational materials to synthesized speech. The teacher decides to borrow a scan and read system and an iPad with an accessible book-reading app for a free six-week trial from ABLE Tech. During the trial, the IEP team determines that the scan and read system works better for the student than the iPad with accessible book reading app, and that the school will purchase the device for use in the classroom. The IEP team plans to monitor the student’s progress using the scan and read device at school, and if necessary will consider allowing the student to use the device at home.
