[blparent] Accessible Homework?

[Alex]

Hello, all!  I am new to the listserve; thus, please forgive me if
these issues have previously been addressed.  I am a blind, single mom
and of an autistic, sighted, nearly 5-year-old boy, who will enter
kindergarten in the fall.  We live away from family and have few
friends in this area, who can provide frequent sighted assistance.  My
son already participates in the special education program at an
elementary school.  IEP's and progress reports as well as information
from his teacher and therapists have been made accessible; however,
homework assignments are not truly accessible.  His speech therapist
has pictures of vocabulary words, which accompany worksheets, games,
and lists of questions.  although not required, this is our first look
at homework, and I am extremely apprehensive regarding the future.  I
am concerned that I will not be able to assist him in completing
assignments.  I am also concerned about getting assignments in an
accessible format.  Although my son is starting to read, he only reads
when he feels like it, and he is not able to relate events of a day,
tell a story, etc.  How have you helped your children with homework,
particularly if your child is sighted but has other sensory and/or
communication challenges?
The speech therapist and I discussed this issue earlier today.  She
has proposed to e-mail me homework assignments or send them home on a
flash drive.  She has also agreed to outline the pictures in glue.
She said that she would label them for me, but she does not know
Braille and wants me to make the labels.  I don't have a problem
making labels, but making labels in the future will require
considerable planning in the future on everyone's part.  Also, the
school my son attends does not have a "Vision Rehabilitation Teacher",
and I was told that the Vision Teacher is only to assist visually
impaired students.
Does the school system have a legal obligation to make homework
assignments, IEP's, progress reports, etc.  accessible to me?  If so,
who usually ensures that these things are accessible?
Any advice and information you can provide would be greatly
appreciated.  The IEP is up for review in March.  I am trying to move
into this elementary school's zone because they are willing to work
with me but just don't seem to know how.  If we go to the elementary
school for which we are zoned, I am concerned the atmosphere will not
be as accomodating, and I will need to make sure that any
accomodations I need in order to properly support my son are well
delineated prior to entering that school.
Warmest regards,
Lucy