Acting Assistant Secretary Michael Yudin will visit Mission Middle College in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday where he will observe how the cutting-edge technology service Bookshare helps students with disabilities master academic content by making the world of print accessible through reading technologies and the use of digital eBooks.
At Mission Middle College, Yudin will also discuss how the school collaborates with the Santa Clara Unified School District to offer high school students a serious learning environment where they take control of their own education, complete high school graduation and begin accumulating college credits. As part of a roundtable, Yudin will learn how students use assistive technology to achieve high academic standards and prepare for college.
Bookshare is the largest online accessible library of copyrighted content for people with print disabilities. It strives to give individuals with disabilities the same ease of access to print materials as those without disabilities. The service is operated by the Silicon Valley nonprofit Benetech and supported with grants from the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. Bookshare provides free resources to public schools and students who qualify to encourage timely access to education materials.
Yudin heads the Education Department's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which includes programs aimed at improving results and outcomes for the nation's infants, toddlers, children and adults with disabilities.