Benetech Launches Accessibility Training to Promote Education Equity

Are you an educator who needs to make classroom materials accessible to students with disabilities? Are you wondering how assistive technology can help students with learning challenges? Do you want to learn more about Bookshare’s accessible library? Benetech offers four training courses that answer these questions and many more to get you up to speed so you can serve all students.

Benetech is passionate about promoting equity and access in academic environments, and one way to achieve that goal is to offer tools and resources for teachers, librarians, parents, and other educational professionals.

I am excited to share four new training courses that are a part of the growing Benetech Training Hub.

Vanessa Lombardo, Benetech Training and Learning Manager

Benetech Offers Four New Training Courses

The courses listed below are available in the Training Resource Hub on the Benetech website. All courses are free, self-paced, and in accessible format. A variety of educational professionals and accessibility experts provided input during the development phase to ensure accuracy and relevancy.

How to Create an Accessible and Equitable Classroom
Audience: General and special educators
Estimated time to complete: 1.5 hours.
Modules:
• DEI+A – disability, equity, and inclusion plus accessibility in the classroom (45min)
• Creating accessible documents (45min)
• Accessibility features built into various learning platforms (45min)

International Inclusive Education Training
Audience: Educators and parents
Estimated time to complete: 4 hours.
Modules:
• Overview of Mathematical Literacy (1hr)
• Inclusive and Accessible Examinations (30min)
• Using Android Devices for Reading and Writing (1hr)
• Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities (45min)
• Creating Accessible Documents (45min)

Institute for Museum and Library Services Training
Audience: Librarians
Modules:
• Accessibility 101
• Disabilities that impact reading
• Assistive Technology tools
• File formats
• Reading systems

The ABCs of Bookshare for Educators
Audience: Educators who are responsible for managing Bookshare student and organization accounts at their school
Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes.
Modules:
• Why Bookshare
• Sign Up for and set up an account
• Find and assign books
• Help students read
• Manage roster

Training Program Accelerates Learning So Educators Can Meet All Students’ Needs

Benetech is deeply committed to ensuring educational equity by providing teachers with high quality training. This program supports teachers who strive to provide appropriate and effective accommodations to help students achieve their educational goals. Due to the high turnover of educators, it is imperative that our training programs provide practical, action-oriented training to educators, librarians, and other professionals to address the scarcest resource of them all, time. Using these training resources, teachers will be able to improve their teaching practices, which will in turn affect the students’ learning experience in the classroom and beyond.

Visit Benetech.org/work-area/training-resources for more information about Benetech’s new training hub. Interested in discussing training course ideas with Vanessa Lombardo? Contact her at [email protected] .