The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through TA activities that increase both the…

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through…

The availability of high-quality Open Educational Resources (OER) plays an important role in addressing equity issues in education. For its full potential to be realized for every learner, however, OER must be more than openly licensed at a reasonable cost. They must also be usable across the variability that learners bring to any learning…

This practice brief outlines a series of recommendations for improving the timely provision and use of high-quality braille -- both embossed and electronic -- and tactile graphics for state-mandated assessment. The primary target audience for these recommendations is State Education Agency (SEA) assessment leaders and others at the state-and…

Ensuring participation in state-mandated assessments by students who need accessible educational materials (AEM) and related technologies is an extension of the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning at CAST's (AEM Center) technical assistance activities. The needs of students who rely on AEM for daily learning transfer…

In early childhood education, ensuring that all students, including those with disabilities, can access and engage with learning materials is a pivotal aspect of educational equity and inclusion. Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) and Assistive Technologies (AT) are central to this endeavor, providing essential resources that accommodate…

This paper presents the findings from the second case in a multiple-case study examining the implementation of federal and state policies by State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to provide Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) to disabled students in two Southern states, referred to as State 1 and State 2. The first…

This guide addresses the challenge of inaccessible digital learning resources by providing K-12 education stakeholders with actionable information about EPUB, a digital file format. EPUB is a widely adopted format for many digital books and is specifically designed to display text, audio, images and, in some cases, video in a manner usable by all…

The purpose of the National AEM Center's Quality Indicators with Critical Components for Workforce Development is to assist workforce development agencies and programs with planning, implementing, and evaluating dynamic, coordinated systems for providing accessible materials and technologies for all career seekers who need them. The ultimate goal…

The purpose of the National AEM Center's Quality Indicators with Critical Components for K-12 is to assist State and local education agencies with planning, implementing, and evaluating dynamic, coordinated systems for providing accessible materials and technologies for all students who need them. The ultimate goal of an AEM provision system is…

This guide is for any individual seeking to develop knowledge and practical skills related to the "Quality Indicators with Critical Components for K-12." The target audience includes administrators, educators, and service providers at the state and local levels, as well as families of students with disabilities. As a result of completing…

Families play an important role in ensuring their child with a disability has access to the educational materials they need to learn and succeed. This guide is designed for parents and caregivers of children who require accessible educational materials (AEM) for learning. It will provide you with information about what AEM are, how they can…

As the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center states, children with disabilities have the right to participate in everyday activities with their typically developing peers. In inclusive early childhood programs and settings, social and learning activities are designed for the participation of all children. The provision and use of…

In early 2020, the AEM Center turned its focus to the start of the education continuum by developing Critical Components for providing accessible materials and technologies for children in early childhood programs. Knowledge development activities focused on understanding the complex early childhood educational system, particularly with respect to…

Accessibility of digital materials and technologies for all learners, including students with disabilities, has captured the attention of stakeholders on both sides of the education marketplace -- consumers and developers. To help consumers take advantage of this moment, this resource explains what accessibility means, why it's important, who…