[blindkid] IEP Document Accessibility

[Richard Holloway]

I'm guessing the big deal in some cases is that this is not a simple  
text document we are dealing with.

Our IEP's have a good number of boxes and check marks and then text is  
added in various places to explain why one thing or another is  
checked. I don't mean to suggest that braille readers can't understand  
that, but automated translation of these forms could jumble some of  
the content, so proper translations (at least with the forms they use  
in our schools) might require a fair amount of manual intervention.  
Our 7-year-old isn't really ready to be involved in her own IEP's yet  
but this will be interesting to deal with for her in a few years...

It sounds like an issue that for some will turn into agreement that it  
"must" be done but in reality it won't be done, at least not with a  
good clean translation...

One thing seems clear-- if future software design & purchase decisions  
for IEP packages had braille compatibility in mind from the start,  
things could be smoother in these matters, but where would one go to  
promote that sort of change? I haven't a clue where one should even  
start.

Richard


On Oct 16, 2009, at 11:04 PM, Barbara Hammel wrote:

> Our school sends them electronically for me.  Sometimes we have to  
> hound them but I have gotten them.  My husband has also scanned them  
> into the computer before.  They're already on the computer so what  
> should the big deal be?
> Barbara
>
> Snow is God's way of reminding us that beauty can be found even in  
> the coldest hearts.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "DrV" <icdx at earthlink.net>
> Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 12:22 AM
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org 
> >
> Subject: [blindkid] IEP Document Accessibility
>
>> Hi Everyone,
>> Our elder son is now in 7th grade & we would like for him to take a  
>> more active role in his IEPs.
>> We get print copies of the reports, goals, & final IEP document.
>> He can't read the print.
>> If we didn't speak English, is it standard practice for these to be  
>> translated into the family's native language?
>> If so, then along that line of reasoning, it would seem like the  
>> district should be required to provide these in an understandable/ 
>> accessible format.
>> Providing an electronic Word/Text version would be a little extra  
>> work, but certainly seems do-able.
>> I would appreciate some insights into how others have approached  
>> this.
>> Thanks
>> Eric
>>
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