A key role in the development and deployment of Assistive Technology solutions is that of the "assessor-consultant". Assessor-consultants for the UK-based charity Abilitynet work with clients to develop customized computer-based assistive technology systems and draw on a range of shared knowledge from the assessor-consultant community.…

Education must help learners live their lives with greater competence and greater confidence. Education is also about developing behavior based on positive values-understanding and respect for other people. It will only do this if it is of good quality. It is difficult to pin down exactly what makes for good quality education or what needs to be…

The "Rehabilitation Act of 1973," as amended (the act), provides the legislative basis for programs and activities that assist individuals with disabilities in the pursuit of gainful employment, independence, self-sufficiency and full integration into community life. This report is intended to provide a description of accomplishments and…

The author provides one perspective on how to integrate sessions of the expanded core curriculum for students who are visually impaired into a high school schedule to support an effective balance between (a) required hours for core academic courses and appropriate pacing of the courses for those students and (b) core courses and the expanded core…

Tandi Clausen-May is a principal research officer in the Department for Research in Assessment and Measurement at the National Foundation for Educational Research. In this article, she examines the accessibility for learners with special educational needs of some of the mathematics questions from tests used in the 2003 cycle of two international…

Educators are generally aware that federal law protects persons with disabilities from unjustified discrimination, but they may not be familiar with the details of how these protections come into play when decisions are made about an individual's educational or employment opportunities. This article focuses on the protections that two federal…

The objective of the study was to better understand the perceptions and needs of multigenerational Deaf adults related to mental health services. A survey sampled participants who were between 20 and 85 years old and Deaf. Questions were developed to identify the perspectives of Deaf adults related to the availability of mental health services,…

It is generally acknowledged that a child's primary caregiver acts as a spring board to independence. By encouraging the child to explore their world, parents and guardians are instrumental in developing the child's sense of self-esteem, self-worth and sociability. Less fortunate, however, are the increasing numbers of young children born with a…

Jason Ranker argues that struggling students need "opportunities to use print and produce meanings in diverse and multifaceted ways." His case study of two fifth-grade girls who used digital video production to better understand aspects of the civil rights movement reveals ways in which multimodal literacy practices "can create new possibilities…

Administrators in public schools are undoubtedly familiar with their duties under federal law to serve students with disabilities in the educational program. Far fewer, however, are aware of their legal obligations to these same students in after-school athletics and extracurricular activities. Are students with disabilities entitled to…

Social geography brings a new perspective to understanding longstanding separation between general and special education in higher education. This paper uses methods from social geography to consider how the structures and processes of space function to maintain longstanding divisions between general and special education in a US teacher education…

This checklist is intended to help churches evaluate the accessibility of their facilities to those with physical disabilities. Categories covered are: basic accessibility, parking lots, walks, ramps, entrances/exits, doors and doorways, stairs and steps, floors, worship space, rest rooms, controls, water fountains, identification, warning…

The General Library at the University of California, Berkeley, has made its collection physically and intellectually accessible to disabled users. A task force convened to discuss ways to meet the needs of disabled students has met regularly since 1981. Among changes undertaken as a result of the task force are the appointment of a resource…

Highlights important legislation and architectural standards that have reflected and fostered changes in the public's attitude toward accessibility for the mobility impaired. Describes a project by students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to assess accessibility of public or commercial buildings in Blacksburg, Virginia. (JOW)

Everyone experiences barriers that impose limits on leisure activity choices, but people with disabilities are faced with more and greater barriers than nondisabled people. These barriers can be divided into three categories: intrinsic, environmental, and communication barriers. Recreation professionals can provide the proper atmosphere for…