By Brian Bridges, BB Blogs
On May 26th the USDOE issued a Frequently Asked Questions About the June 29, 2010, Dear Colleague Letter. In it, they clarify advice provided in their June 29th, 2010 letter to College presidents regarding the use of electronic books/e-readers at the college level. The June 29th letter noted that the Office of Civil Rights (OCR)/Department of Justice had entered into a settlement with colleges and universities that had used the Kindle DX in their classrooms. OCR’s concern was that students with visual disabilities did not enjoy the same access to content since the Kindle did not have a text to speech function and the colleges had not provided a reasonable accommodation, specifically that they “provide reasonable accommodation or modification so that a student can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as sighted students…” The letter cites that this inaccessibility “is discrimination prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.” Simply, all students must have an equal opportunity to participate.
http://bbridges51.edublogs.org/2011/05/27/online-courses-and-accessibility-part-1/
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