The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning has released a new Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) Toolkit to help Maine schools ensure students have equitable access to the digital instructional materials and resources they need to learn. To help Maine schools ensure students have equitable access to the digital instructional materials and resources they need to learn.
Designed to deepen educators’ and school leaders’ understanding of digitally accessible educational materials and to help them navigate upcoming Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II web accessibility requirements, the toolkit connects accessibility guidance with practical tools to help Maine teachers and administrators create inclusive classrooms and support equitable access to learning.
Whether schools are just beginning to learn about accessible materials, seeking answers to specific questions, or working to strengthen districtwide accessibility practices, the AEM toolkit offers flexible pathways for exploring accessibility. The AEM Toolkit also provides pathways for creating more inclusive learning experiences by making digital materials accessible to all students, regardless of specific needs.
Grounded in the belief that accessibility benefits all learners, not only students with identified disabilities, the toolkit also includes:
- Multiple Audience Entry Points: Resources in the toolkit support educators, administrators, and families as they seek to identify student needs, understand the tools and formats that support access to digital content, and explore obtaining and using accessible materials;
- Targeted Resources: Dedicated guides for educators, administrators, and families to identify student needs and understand the tools that support digital access; and
- Practical Application: Actionable strategies for applying web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) – such as proper text semantics, color contrast, and concise alt text formatting – directly to everyday digital content used by teachers, students, and families.
The Maine DOE, supported by the work of the Learning Through Technology team, will continue to develop resources and provide support to help schools strengthen their use of accessible educational materials and efforts to meet web accessibility requirements.
Click here to explore the Accessible Educational Materials Toolkit.
For further information or questions, please reach out to Brittany Elwell, Emerging Technology Specialist, at brittany.elwell@maine.gov.
