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Create the Least Restrictive Environment for Every Student

Mary Jo Barry (2)by Mary Jo Barry
What would life be like for students with learning challenges if they had access to supportive technologies all day long? How would this benefit them, your schools and your objectives? How can you further strive to create the least restrictive learning environment (LRE) for all your learners?

LRE = F.A.P.E.

Creating the least restrictive environment (LRE) is mandated by the Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) regulation in section 504. What does the "least restrictive environment" look like? Your students with disabilities have the same educational opportunities as their peers without disabilities. They should have full access to the curriculum, and they need to be provided with access to supplemental aids and devices that help them achieve their educational goals. We can conclude that if we aim to create the least restrictive environment, we must work to adhere to IDEA 2004 and Section 504 by providing Accessible Instructional Materials and technologies that read those files!!

Do you need to change anything in your school district to accomplish these goals? Are you working to make your curriculum accessible by providing your materials in accessible formats? We believe that Universal Access to a text reader is the most cost effective way to make the curriculum accessible, a key component of creating the Least Restrictive Environment. By providing equitable and flexible access to concepts and ideas for all students, we CAN create the least restrictive learning environment.

Universal Access

What would change in your district if you could install your assistive technology software on every computer like your school does with Microsoft Office? But, let’s also say that students can install your assistive technology software at home too. Your students wouldn’t be restricted to the resource room—they could move from classroom to computer lab to home with access to the tools that can make the difference between success and frustration. 

We see Universal Access as such a large value to districts and their students with disabilities that we see it as our mission to provide affordable Universal Access! For example, Read:OutLoud can be placed on every single computer in your building for the price of one traditional text reader. Even if only four students use the software in a school, it makes sense to get an Unlimited “Universal Access” Site License.

Here are some details on our new Unlimited Site Licenses:

  • All of our most popular solutions (Co:Writer, Read:OutLoud, Write:OutLoud, Draft:Builder, Start-to-Finish Library, and Start-to-Finish Literacy Starters) are now available as Unlimited Site License packages
  • Unlimited Site Licenses include take-home rights for students and teachers
  • The need to audit the number of hard-drive installations and student-users is eliminated
  • You can install on your district image (like Microsoft Office)

With the affordable price of the product, the reduction in time to manage where it’s installed and who is using it, AND stimulus funding—this may be your best solution to help achieve FAPE in your district.

Implementation

Of course, your FAPE initiative will only be as successful as your implementation plan. In the grand educational scheme of things, there has historically been little value placed on, and a lack of resources for, implementing assistive technology. We have developed implementation strategies that hundreds of districts have implemented, classroom management and technology logistics matrices (tons of FREE tools) and professional development offerings that follow a proven framework. If we work side-by-side, failure is not an option!

There will be no discussion about value if implementation goes poorly. CALL US! We will help you look at the needs of your organization and point out the key systems that need to be in place to get you up and running quickly and easily. We will help you look at your individual situation and make suggestions based on our experience before, during and after your purchase.

This article first appeared in the June 2009 issue of The LeaderLink