The availability of new on-line alternate format materials will greatly assist students with special needs and offer them access to the same resources as their peers. The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education, provided details on the new addition to the department's website today.

"Our site now offers resources from the provincial curriculum in several alternate formats," said Minister King. "For example, a visually impaired student can now access John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in an MP3 format and play it on an i-pod, or a student with a physical disability can download an e-text version of Dracula to a memory stick and read it wherever he or she chooses. These materials assist students with disabilities in accessing the same materials as their classmates in a form that's best for their individual needs."

To ensure the materials are updated regularly, a librarian has been hired to improve the quality and quantity of alternate format items available to students, and to support teachers using the site. Learning modules have also been developed to help teachers, parents and students use the new site. In keeping with copyright legislation, the site is password protected so that only students with an Individual Education Plan, their parents and teachers can gain access.

This is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to improve services for students with special needs since the release of the ISSP/Pathways report in 2007. Other highlights include:

As well, Budget 2010: The Right Investments — For Our Children and Our Future, includes an additional $383,900 this year and $550,000 annually to increase the number of student assistant hours by over 25,000. This will bring the total investment for student assistant hours to $14.6 million annually.

"With these enhancements we are keeping up with the latest in technology and best practices in assisting students with special needs," said Minister King. "We are committed to ensuring an open, accessible and inclusive education system. With these advancements, we are ensuring all students can fully avail of learning opportunities to the best of their abilities."

The Department of Education has made arrangements so that any new contracts to purchase text books or other learning resources will include any available alternate format materials the publisher has, such as a PDF file.

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Media contact:
Tara Power
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 727-5953
tarapower@gov.nl.ca