CUDE

MathML (Mathematical Markup Language) is an industry standard adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as the approved way of expressing math on the web. Like the more familiar HyperText Markup Language (HTML), which sets the standard for web browsers to display literary text, MathML is an international open standard for encoding math content. MathML is needed because HTML has no means of marking up mathematical expressions. Using MathML provides the highest level of accessibility to math within digital documents.

Recognizing that cost and time often preclude one-by-one signing of even the most widely used instructional materials TERC, a not-for-profit education research and development organization, partnered with Vcom3D, the developer of the SigningAvatar accessibility software, to create the Signing Science Dictionary (SSD).

Some campuses send letters to faculty members at the beginning of a term regarding the academic accommodations a student with a disability may require while in their class. Typically, it is best to let a student initiate a discussion regarding accommodations. You should not ask for details about a disability not disclosed in a letter or shared with you by the student.

Deann Shillington, a special education teacher at Canfield Middle School in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho identified a need for intensive, direct instruction in basic skills to help improve her students' math performance. Ms. Shillington wanted to capitalize on the benefits that computer programs have to offer. In collaboration with DO-IT's AccessSTEM project, she acquired computers and a LCD projector.

In the United States, foreign language is often a requirement for college graduation. Many college students have disabilities that impact their ability to see, hear, or process language. As a result, these students may struggle with the oral, visual, and processing tasks of learning a foreign language. However, foreign language classes can be made accessible to students with disabilities through careful planning and implementation of innovative teaching methods, such as those included in the following resources:

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) serves as a resource for stakeholders, including educators, parents, students, publishers, conversion houses, accessible media producers, and others interested in learning more about accessible educational materials. Their services and activities include:

Many steps need to be taken to ensure that distance learning courses are accessible to potential students with disabilities. Exploratory research has been undertaken at the University of Washington to develop a list of Distance Learning Program Accessibility Indicators (DLP Accessibility Indicators). The list was based on a review of the literature and collaborator experiences creating distance learning courses that are accessible to potential students and instructors with disabilities.

Each year increasing numbers of students with visual impairments and other print disabilities are requesting electronic text, commonly referred to as e-text, versions of books and other print-based media. Whether it be the latest version of a Biology textbook or Homer's the Iliad, finding e-text in a timely manner can be a challenge for educators.

Below are examples of Internet resources for both digital libraries, which contain public domain texts, and subscription-based libraries.

Tod Harris, a math and computer teacher at Maplewood Middle School in Edmonds, Washington, is committed to the universal design of classroom environments. His school serves students with visual impairments from throughout the district in general education classrooms. Some students were having difficulty accessing information projected on an overhead during class lectures and completing tasks in the math computer lab.

Kristie Alexander, a fourth-grade teacher at Captain Strong Elementary, is using technology to actively engage all students in her class, including those with learning disabilities, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), speech impairments, fine motor impairments, and Asperger's Syndrome.