The PALM Initiative

Purchase Accessible Learning Materials

As classrooms start to incorporate more digital technology, it becomes increasingly important that materials used in the classroom are designed to be useable by all students from the start. This requires adjustments in the way materials are purchased, and that, in turn, will drive the availability of more flexible and accessible learning materials in the marketplace. We are launching the PALM Initiative (Purchase Accessible Learning Materials) to ensure this change happens as soon as possible.

The E-Book Market Brief begins to highlight some of the problems that we are seeing in the commercial and open education resource markets. The problem extends to purchasing decisions for hardware, software, e-learning platforms, apps, and more. This is a problem worth solving. Publishers will respond when states and local education agencies demand accessible learning materials directly from the source.

The AIM Center has also been asked to provide guidelines that publishers and developers can use when creating accessible digital instructional learning materials. A DRAFT document, Accessible Digital Learning Materials—Publisher/Developer Best Practices Guidelines has been posted with suggestions for how best to provide feedback. We would appreciate your help.

Take Action: What You Can Do

Share Your Success Stories

Advocating for change is hard work! Do you have a strategy that’s worked for you?  Send us an email: aim [at] cast [dot] org