 |
 |
Temple University Center for Research
in Human Development and Education |
|
|
Acquiring Educational Technology for all Students: Considering Instructional Software
137
by
Patricia Hendricks
Temple University
In 2001 and 2002, Maryland passed legislation and regulations requiring that school systems "ensure that technology-based instructional products provide students with disabilities equivalent access" and that schools base their selection and evaluation of technology-based instructional products on the standards in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Maryland legislation also requires that teacher-created technology instructional materials such as websites be made accessible by 2004.
Maryland's legislation was written to provide all of the state's students with access to high-quality instructional products. Like the federal legislation, it also seeks to drive accessibility into the design and development of instructional products by regulating purchasing behavior. Consequently, Maryland's educators must have an awareness and skill in evaluating technology-based instructional products.
|
|
| |
At the Maryland State Department of Education's request, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium (MAR*TEC) has expanded their instructional technology preview center to include an accessibility toolkit. It is designed to help educators understand the accessibility of instructional software and how to evaluate it. This toolkit includes an online tutorial to introduce the ideas and concepts of accessibility. It also includes an accessibility checklist, a hypertext glossary defining technical terms and terms specific to Section 508, and a contextual explanation that helps educators understand the importance of Section 508 regulations.
Section 508 Requirements
As amended in 1998, Section 508 "maintains that the procurement of electronic and information technology takes into account the needs of all end users-including people with disabilities." Section 508 provides guidelines to federal employees for purchasing technology that will allow all federal employees equal access to information. Waddell (2003) suggests that one purpose of Section 508 is to provide a marketplace incentive for the design and development of accessible technology-based products. She states, "Using the power of the federal purse, Section 508 seeks to drive accessibility into the design of electronic and information technology." Section 508's ability to drive accessibility into the design of technology products hinges on the consumers' understanding of what makes technology accessible and their capacity to translate their knowledge to effective evaluation and purchasing of technology-based products.
Page
1 2
3
4
Next |
