Summary of TEAM Coalition's IDEA Recommendations

Since IDEA was last reauthorized, our nation has witnessed an explosion of new and innovative technologies that can enhance and facilitate learning for children with disabilities. Many of these technologies allow access to be built into educational programs right from the start, to the benefit of millions of children with varying functional needs and abilities. The concept of designing and using technologies that are built into mainstream media and products has been called "universal design."

Twenty-three disability rights and education organizations, collectively known as the TEAM Coalition, have come together to propose that the principles of universal design be incorporated in the reauthorization of IDEA. They have also made recommendations that ensure the accessibility of materials, the existence of adequate professional development in IDEA technologies, and the authorization of sufficient funding to assure that these priorities are met. Specifically, the TEAM Coalition seeks to do the following:

· Incorporate projects throughout IDEA that promote the development, implementation, and use of the concepts of universal design in technologies and educational materials, and authorize corresponding increases in the levels of funding for research and development, and personnel training and preparation.

· Require entities that receive federal assistance to ensure, on a going forward basis, the accessibility of their project deliverables, including print materials, electronic media materials, web sites, videos, software, CD-ROMs and DVDs.

· Require educational programs supported through federal assistance to ensure, on a going forward basis, the accessibility of their learning materials.

· Establish a priority for projects that emphasize educational personnel training and preparation, particularly with respect to universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices, and authorize corresponding increases in funding for these projects.

· Increase funding for Part D programs and index Part D funding at 10% of funding for Part B.

The TEAM Coalition proposes the following specific changes to IDEA:

I. INTEGRATING UNIVERSAL DESIGN CONCEPTS INTO IDEA

PART A

· Add to the findings section a provision that indicates that Congress has found that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by "supporting the development and use of universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices and services to maximize accessibility for children with disabilities."

· Add a definition for the term "universal design:" "a concept or philosophy for designing and delivering products and services that are usable by people with the widest possible range of functional capabilities, which include products and services that are directly usable (without requiring assistive technologies) and products and services that are made usable with assistive technologies."

· Add a definition for the term "universally designed technologies:" "technologies that are developed using the principles of universal design."

PART B

· Add to current IEP requirements, which mandate that an IEP team consider whether a child requires assistive technology devices and services, that the IEP team also consider the use and application of universally designed technologies to benefit the student.

PART D

· Add to State Program Improvement Grants findings that, in order to create an effective educational system, States should be encouraged to "promote the development, use and integration of universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices and services directed at meeting the diverse and individualized learning needs and abilities of all children, especially those with disabilities."

· Add to Coordinated Research, Personnel Preparation, Technical Assistance, Support, And Dissemination Of Information section a new priority for disbursing funds to "projects that promote the research, development and use of universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices and services to maximize children with disabilities' access to, participation in, and progress within the general education curriculum."

Chapter 1

· Add to Research and Innovation section: "to address the needs of children with disabilities through the development, use and implementation of universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices and services."

· Add to New Knowledge section language to ensure that sufficient authority exists for entering into grants, contracts or cooperative agreements that promote the development and integration of universally designed technologies.

· Add to Studies and Evaluations section a requirement that that the Secretary examine how well schools, local education agencies, states, and other recipients of IDEA assistance are achieving the purposes of IDEA, including: "integrating the use of universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices and services in a manner that maximizes the access to, participation in, and progress within the classroom and the general education curriculum."

Chapter 2

· Add to Findings and Purposes section a new finding that federal support is needed "to stimulate the research and development of universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices to maximize access to, and participation in, and progress within the general education curriculum."

· Add to Parent Training and Information Centers section a requirement that such centers provide parents with information and training about the range of technologies available to assist children with disabilities and their families.

· Add to Technical Assistance for Parent Training and Information Centers section language that authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to parent training and information centers to promote the use of technology.

II. ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY OF MATERIALS

PART A

· Add to the Acquisition of Equipment; Construction or Alteration of Facilities section a requirement that any construction of new facilities or alteration of existing facilities comply with the ANSI Classroom Acoustics Standard.

· Add a new section, Section 1407 - Accessibility of Materials, that requires:

o Subpart a: any entity in receipt of a federal grant, contract or other federal assistance under IDEA ensure the accessibility of all project deliverables, including print materials, electronic media materials, web sites, videos, software, CD-ROMs and DVDs.
o Subpart b: any SEA or LEA receiving federal grants, contracts or other federal assistance under any federal program to ensure that children with disabilities have access to and use of education materials developed or procured.

III. INCREASING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PART B

· Add to State Level Activities section language that encourages states to use their sliver grants for: "Training general education personnel, special education personnel, related services personnel, and parents in the existence, use, and implementation of universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices and services in the classroom."

· Add the same language to Subgrants for Capacity Building and Improvement section.

· Add to the State Eligibility section a new subsection that requires SEAs to coordinate their activities, services and dissemination of information regarding universally designed technologies and assistive technology devices and services with state projects funded under the Assistive Technology Act.

PART D

· Add to State Improvement Grants for Children with Disabilities section language that requires states to use not less than 75% of the funds it receives under their grants for, among other things, ensuring that educational personnel have sufficient knowledge and experience with those technologies to inform students of their existence, to instruct students in their use, and to integrate those technologies into the classroom and curriculum.

· Add to the Low Incidence Disabilities section languages that authorizes the Secretary to make grants or enter into contracts to train teachers of low-incidence disability students as to the existence and proper applications of universally designed technologies.

· Add to Chapter 1's Projects of National Significance section a new section that allows Part D funds to be used for: "Projects emphasizing the integration of universally designed technologies, assistive technology devices and services, and media to provide a range of options to children for accessing, using, and engaging with learning materials and the general education curriculum through multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement."

IV. ENSURING ADEQUATE FUNDING

PART D

Add new language requiring that funding for Part D programs be indexed at 10% of funding for Part B.

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