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Amanda Porter FRIT 7132 September 23, 2011 Policy Issues Paper: Accessibility for Students with Special Needs According to the NCES (2011b), In 2008, 95% of 6- to 21-year-old students with disabilities were served in regular schools. In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EACHA) mandated that children and youth ages 3-21 with disabilities receive free and appropriate public school education services to meet their needs. According to Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (2008), the Assistive Technology Act (ATA) authorized the accessibility to assistive technology (AT) to people of disabilities in all environments so that they may function in same daily activities as their non-disabled members in the community. According to The U.S. Department of Education (2004), Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) mandated that all students with disabilities be served in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) with services to meet their needs. The government requires that all learning environments be accessible for students with disabilities. It is important that SLMS collaborate with Special Education teachers to ensure that special needs students are served appropriately and productively in flexible environments, which reflect the students Individualized Education Plan [IEP] (NCES, 2011a). What are the essential elements which should be included in the policy? There are several essential elements that SLMSs should take into consideration when making the library accessible to special needs students. First, a structured environment with rules, boundaries, accessible areas, and appropriate materials should be in place to remove many barriers that students with special needs have. Students with special needs should have full access to the library.

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Secondly, all students including, special needs students, should have the opportunity to access instructional technology and media services through appropriate learning experiences. A SLMS can achieve this by advocating for an information skills curriculum to teach through a variety of teaching pedagogies and environments. This will ensure that the requirements of students with special needs are addressed throughout the school. An information skill curriculum will help the SLMS to teach students how to problem solve, pursue knowledge, and explore a variety of instructional technologies to research information. Students usually view media centers as a place for technology and not a place for reading. With all the different types of technologies, a SLMS can promote learning and well-being across a wide range of settings by integrating technology into the learning and teaching process (Canter, Voytecki, Zambone, & Jones, 2011). The SLMS should provide instruction and become familiar with common software products that can provide special needs students appropriate accommodations with minimal effort. Software that can allow a variety of inputs should be readily accessible as well as Braille versions of books. Last but not least, the SLMS can provide sites that give students a virtual tour. In addition, pictures and digital media videos can benefit special needs students who may be emotionally or physically disabled so that they can be exposed to field trips like their non-disabled peers (Downing, 2006). School Librarian Media Specialists should collaborate with the Special Education teachers in order to deliver appropriate instruction, teach informational literacy, and provide individualized lessons in a flexible environment. The Special Education teacher can share with the SLMS crucial information concerning students accommodations, support services, and goals from students Individual Education Plans (IEP). With this knowledge, the two professionals can develop appropriate instructional resources, specialized instructional approaches, goal based literacy, and

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accessible environment for all types of students with special needs to ensure an information-rich environment (Canter, Voytecki, Zambone, & Jones, 2011). What are the current issues that affect the policy? In the past decade, both job descriptions of a SLMS and Special Education teacher have drastically changed. According to Downing (2006), many school districts have adopted coteaching and collaborative models so that both special educators and librarians utilize each other to support the learning needs of special needs students. Todays current issue that can affect the policy of readily serving special needs students is whether or not both educators understand the job description and the role that both professions hold. It is important for both educators to examine their skills and biases of one another in order to collaborate successfully to meet the needs of the students. The relationship between the SLMS and the Special Education teacher can become influential if all the following elements are taken into consideration: knowledge of your own work style, establishing a rapport with each others preferences, establish trust between both collaborative partners, and knowledge of the special needs students preferences and interests as well as IEP goals (Downing, 2006). In summary, there are many legal policies in place advocating for special needs students to receive appropriate instruction, materials, assistive technology, and assistance in the least restrictive environment. It is the Special Education teacher and SLMSs duty to collaborate and create a plan addressing how, when, and where to provide assistance, accommodations, and modification when insuring success for the special needs students.

Reference

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Allen, K. L., & Hughes-Hassell, S. (September-October, 2010). Meeting the needs of student with disabilities. School Library Monthly, 27(1), 52-54. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Canter, L., Voytecki, K., Zambone, A., & Jones, J. (2011). School librarians: The forgotten partners. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(3), 14-20. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania. (2008). Assistive technology for persons with disabilities: An overview. Retrieved from http://drnpa.org/File/publications/ Assistive-technology-for-persons-with-disabilities-an-overview.pdf Downing, J.A. (2006). Media centers and special education: Introduction to the special Issue. (2006). Intervention in School & Clinic, 42(2), 67-77. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. NCES. (2011a). Digest of education statistics (2010). Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=59 NCES. (2011b). Fast facts. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=59 U.S. Department of Education (2004). Individuals with disabilities education act. Retrieved from, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?

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Amanda Porter Student