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WATA Bulletin: Fall 2002

Contents:

Access Washington makes online resources more accessible to people with disabilities

Debbie Cook, Director, Washington Assistive Technology Alliance

Looking for a job? Wanting to buy a business license? Looking to file a complaint? Visit Access Washington at access.wa.gov.

The website serves as the gateway to a broad range of online information and services offered by the state government. Visitors with disabilities, including those who use assistive technology to access the Internet, will be pleased to find that the site has been built with accessibility in mind. It was developed by the Washington State Department of Information Services.

Access Washington began in the mid-1990s with a goal of placing information kiosks (computer-based stations with touch screens) in malls and public libraries to provide citizens with easier alternatives to visiting offices sometimes hundreds of miles away.

Unfortunately, accessibility issues were not considered in the kiosks' design. Concerned consumers with disabilities filed a class-action suit against the state, requesting that the kiosks be made accessible. The suit raised national awareness of access issues related to emerging information technologies, but did not lead to the building of more accessible information kiosks in Washington state.

Eventually the advocacy efforts of consumers, the Washington Assistive Technology Alliance (WATA) and other disability organizations, coupled with advancements in information technology, resulted in a decision by the Department of Information Services to abandon the computer-based kiosks and instead utilize the flexibility and accessibility of the World Wide Web. Web-based information and services could be accessed from any location with a computer connected to the Internet.

WATA welcomed the decision and began providing training and consultation to state agency webmasters on cost-effective strategies and techniques for making online information resources accessible to users with disabilities. As webmasters learned how valuable accessible web design is to people with disabilities, they were excited to put their new skills into practice.
In 2002 the Department of Information Services formally recognized that accessibility requires proactive efforts and careful planning. They adopted a policy and specific procedures to ensure accessibility of online resources in the Washington State government. The result is a model system of accessible online information.

We applaud the efforts of the state and hope that their approach will be noticed and adopted by other state agencies, further increasing access to online resources for Washingtonians with disabilities.

Assistive technology (AT) needs can be part of IEPs for students with disabilities

Sherrie Brown, J.D., Ed.D., Policy Specialist, UW Center for Technology and Disability Studies

As the new school year begins and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are developed, parents, advocates and, when appropriate, special education students should familiarize themselves with their rights to assistive technology (AT) in the public schools. Following is basic information to keep in mind when considering AT as part of the educational program. For more information on this and other AT issues in schools, visit the WATA website at wata.org.

The rights of special education students to have access to assistive technology in grades K-12 are primarily governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is a federal law requiring states to provide children with disabilities who require special education a "free and appropriate public education" (FAPE) designed to meet their unique needs. Special education students are entitled to receive AT if necessary to receive a free and appropriate public education.

Every student who receives special education must have an IEP to guide his or her educational development. IDEA now requires schools to consider the use of AT devices and services in developing the IEP for all students. The potential educational benefits of AT should be discussed and evaluated when appropriate, and the conclusion documented on the IEP. The student's IEP team, consisting of educational professionals, parents and the child when appropriate, creates the IEP. IDEA regulations require that at the discretion of the parent or school, the IEP team also include "other individuals who have knowledge or special experience regarding the child." Thus parents should expect that the student's AT needs are evaluated by someone with expertise in the particular AT relevant to the child's disability.

Some districts have staff with specialized AT training, although many do not. If the district does not have staff with the needed expertise, it should arrange for an expert consultation. Based on the expert's assessment, the IEP team should then determine what AT is needed to meet the unique needs of the individual student and incorporate that assessment into the IEP.

If parents are not satisfied with the district's evaluation, they can request an Individualized Educational Evaluation (IEE) by an outside evaluator. Parents can ask that the school pay for this IEE and the school may be obligated to do so, although may challenge the request in a due process hearing. Alternatively, a parent can ask the school to re-evaluate the student's AT needs. Such a request is appropriate only if the school district has access to personnel with the necessary expertise.

Issues such as how the student will integrate use of the AT into school activities, staff training, warranties, insurance and repairs should be addressed by the team and documented in the IEP. The school district is responsible for ensuring that training for the child, parent, teacher or other special education professional is provided if it is necessary for the child to receive FAPE. It is essential to specifically identify what support services (particularly training) will be provided.

It should be clearly noted in the IEP that students should be able to take AT home when they need it for homework or to otherwise achieve FAPE. The family should confirm that the district's insurance covers loss or damage. The district may have the right to charge for damage or loss to school-owned AT caused by misuse, but districts cannot hold parents responsible for normal wear and tear. On the other hand, the school remains obligated to maintain the device in good repair and cannot condition a child's ability to take the device home on the family's ability to pay for repairs. The IEP should also include whether a loaner or alternative system will be provided to ensure that the IEP can be implemented when a device is out of commission. If a student brings a family-owned AT device to school in lieu of school-provided AT, this fact should be documented in the IEP so if the device needs repair, the district can be asked to pay.

Calendar of Events

Our Quest: Opportunity, Equality, Justice
December 11-14, Boston
This year's TASH conference is placing a special emphasis on assistive and adaptive technology products and services dedicated to empowering people with disabilities. Attend an evening reception at which the work of Section 508 technology manufacturers will be showcased. For more information: TASH, 29 W. Susquehanna Ave., Suite 210, Baltimore, MD 21204, 410-828-8274, or www.tash.org/2002conference/

Integrating Technology Throughout the Curriculum: Technology, Reading & Learning Difficulties. January 16-18, San Francisco
Conference focus is on ways to use technology for reading, learning disabilities, staff development, adult literacy and more. Preview the latest educational technology and try out software in TRLD's Software Lab. Attend how-to sessions and hands-on workshops geared to actual classroom applications. For more information: Educational Computer Conferences Inc., 19 Calvert Court, Piedmont, CA 94611-3435, 510-594-1249, toll-free 888-594-1249, or www.trld.com/.

Technology and Persons With Disabilities
March 17-22, Los Angeles
 CSUN's 18th Annual International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities is the longest-running and largest annual university-sponsored conference of its kind. It is a major training venue for professionals involved in the field of disability and technology. Keynote speaker is Ray Kurzweil, a leading inventor. A brochure will be available in early January. For more information: Center On Disabilities, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330-8340, 818-677-2578 or www.csun.edu/cod/.

WATF Access Fund has low-interest loans

Francis Pennell, Washington Assistive Technology Foundation

The Washington Assistive Technology Access Fund still has money to lend to Washington residents who are blind or visually impaired for assistive technology devices or services. Funding is from the Washington Council of the Blind.

The loans may be used with other funds to purchase any assistive device or service. The interest rate is 6 percent.

We are working to expand the fund to people with other types of disabilities. We are participating for the first time in the Washington State and King County Employee Combined Fund Drives, as well as the Combined Federal Campaign. We have received a challenge grant from the Paul Allen Foundation, so that every dollar contributed until September 2003 will be matched, up to $50,000. We also are seeking matching funds for an award from the U.S. Department of Treasury.

For more information or a loan application, visit www.watf.org or call Frances Pennell at (206) 447-9226, ext. 200.


For calendar updates, visit the Web at:
http://wata.org/calendar.htm
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The WATA Bulletin is supported by grant H224A3006 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Olympia, WA.

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