Accessible Resources Pilot Project
(this project has ended)

This latest information has been taken from the Teachernet website.

"The DCSF has made funding available for a consortium to lead work on a small-scale pilot project to test practical solutions aimed at improving the availability of published curriculum materials in formats that are accessible for visually impaired and dyslexic pupils who are studying at either Key Stage 3 or 4. This pilot project will run for up to two years (2009-11).

Background and rationale

This pilot project comes in response to the RNIB campaign "Right to Read'. That campaign seeks to ensure that 'blind and partially sighted people are able to read the same books at the same time and at the same price as sighted people.' In 2003, the Right to Read Charter was launched stating that:

* every day three million children and adults are denied the Right to Read just because they have a sight problem: dyslexia or a reading disability * ninety-five per cent of all books, magazines and other publications never become available in large print, audio or Braille.

The RNIB's campaign report, 'Where's My Book?' demonstrated that the current system for providing accessible versions of textbooks to blind and partially-sighted school pupils is not working. Delays often occur in the provision of accessible material and children's educational and social progress suffers as a result.

Evidence suggests that the provision of written materials in alternative formats can be an inefficient and expensive use of a school's staff time and financial resources. Where written materials are not provided in a timely and efficient way it can have a negative impact on the educational progress of print disabled students.

The DCSF believes that the solution to this problem lies in ensuring that curriculum materials are available in electronic form to enable efficient production of formats that are accessible to all learners with print disabilities.

Type: Normal Research Project
Research Group: Learning Societies Lab
Theme: Accessible Technologies
Dates: 1st May 2009 to 31st December 2010

Relevant Links

• Altformat.com

Keywords

• accessible materials
• alternative formats
• altformat
• dyslexia
• visually impaired

Partners

• Dolphin Computer Access

Principal Investigators

• E.A. Draffan
• Dr Mike Wald

Publications included from http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/view/projects/700.include.