Navtej Kohli

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Mumbai , India

Monday 15 September 2014

On education technology, college lobbyists are keeping disabled students behind

Yet another semester is afoot, and students with disabilities can once more be left behind as a result of faculties aren't providing equal access to electronic materials. the problem has been an issue of escalating tension between students with disabilities and their universities. astonishingly, a common sense, agreed upon answer to resolve this drawback exists in a very nonpartizan, bicameral bill being thought-about by Congress. Even higher, Massachusetts representatives have taken center stage in support of this solution; the Senate version was introduced by legislator Elizabeth Warren and cosponsored by legislator impotency Markey, and Representative Joseph Kennedy III supports the House version.

The gap of access conjointly puts establishments at unnecessary  legal risk for discriminating against students with disabilities. within the last four years alone there are various public-awareness campaigns, interventions by the workplace of Civil Rights inside the United States Department of Education, and high-profile legal challenges from advocates. nevertheless establishments area unit still not equipped to adequately address this challenge. In fact, the amount of universities that have sweet-faced discrimination complaints and investigations by the workplace of Civil Rights has raised in recent years. Legal challenges, one faculty at a time, aren't any thanks to guarantee equal access for college kids, nor do they rectify a clearly general issue. There must be a more robust approach.To know more latest news updates and information on careers, education, and courses on follow Navtej Kohli CDC wordpress.com .

The better approach — the commonsense, apparently agreed upon answer — to deal with this issue is that the TEACH Act (Technology Equality and Accessibility in faculty and better Education Act). it's support from over a dozen leading incapacity support organizations, and nonpartizan support in each the House and Senate — even during this divided Congress! it had been developed in shut collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s leading support organization for digital accessibility, and also the Association of yankee Publishers, the most important trade association for the business trade. It implements recommendations from Associate in Nursing in-depth study of accessibility in pedagogy conducted with broad neutral input over many years. Specifically, it directs Associate in Nursing freelance knowledgeable agency to develop tips for creating electronic educational materials accessible. The kicker? the rules would just be Associate in Nursing nonmandatory path for universities to satisfy their existing legal obligation to make sure equal access. With students wanting equal access, faculties needing to avoid legal proceeding, and makers needing to grow market-based solutions, the TEACH Act may be a win-win-win.

ACE goes on to state the availability can truly stall the event of accessible materials, that means it might do the alternative of what's supposed. wherever area unit the info to back this up? It can not be true simply because ACE says thus. They additional fail to produce a viable different. As a blind student, I’m left to guess from this statement that ACE merely doesn't care regarding equal access for college kids with disabilities — or, more oddly, regarding providing an easy path for member establishments to obviously fulfill their legal obligation. ACE would be a lot of credible if its objections came from an area of understanding. Instead, it's systematically declined to participate in dialogue regarding equal access, despite persistent invites from advocates and general assembly offices wanting their input.

Three outstanding Massachusetts university leaders are leaders inside ACE: UMass system president Henry M. Robert L. mark is ACE’s secretary. MIT president L. Rafael Reif is on ACE’s board of administrators. Beantown University President Henry M. Robert A. Brown is that the Association of yankee Universities representative to ACE. These presidents ought to do the proper factor for his or her establishments, students with disabilities everyplace, and demand that ACE support equal access for college kids with disabilities in pedagogy and work with stakeholders on the TEACH Act. Students with disabilities cannot afford to attend. Frankly, neither will the colleges.

Refer By : http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/09/05/education-technology-college-lobbyists-are-keeping-disabled-students-behind/jQ8UFe44BeFBumbTTqBzFL/story.html