Routine Practices to Ensure Provision of AEM
For any goal, knowing what needs to be accomplished and doing it are very different things. Adopting operational procedures for AEM will help to ensure that what should be done actually will be done.
AEM Quality Indicator 3 addresses the importance of operational procedures.
Indicator 3— Written guidelines: The agency develops and implements written guidelines related to effective and efficient acquisition, provision, and use of accessible materials and technologies.
Intent: Written guidelines include the roles, knowledge, skills, actions, alignment, and coordination required for delivery of accessible materials and technologies in a timely manner. Guidelines are communicated in multiple ways (e.g., webinars, infographics, websites) and broadly disseminated to ensure that all responsible parties can understand and apply them.
More instruction on effectively addressing this indicator can be found at: http://aem.cast.org/policies/k-12-critical-components.html#k12-3
The operational procedures should assure compliance with applicable laws, including strategies for consideration, assessment, and implementation of AEM and associated AT. For operational procedures to be effective, they must take into account factors that are unusual or specific to the school or district, and they must be accepted by those who need to implement them. Getting input from stakeholders (such as administrators, teachers, and service providers) during the development of operational procedures is key to getting buy-in. Furthermore, making sure that expectations are known will lead to better follow-through.
ABLE Tech has developed sample operational procedures as a guide for educators. LEAs are encouraged to customize the document as needed to make certain that students with print disabilities have access to their curricular materials and the technology needed to read them.
