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"Building Bridges and Breaking Down Barriers" Implementing Act 124: A Guide for Wisconsin's New Accessible Instructional Materials Law | Proposal No: 921 | Bios & Handouts |
| Length of Session (in hours): 1-hr | Format: Lecture | Expertise Level: All Levels | Type of session: Not provided |
Summary of Session |
| Wisconsin Act 124 is the result of over 15 years of strong advocacy, bipartisan legislative support, partnerships with the American Publishers Association, and Disability Services leadership statewide to ensure equal access to textbooks and educational materials for all WI postsecondary students. |
Abstract |
| In early 2012, a group of dreamers, hardened and fueled by 15 years of frustration and roadblocks, made WI history. This group, comprised of disability services professionals, advocates and legislators successfully worked to introduce a bill that became WI Act 124, a new law that ensures equal access to textbooks and educational materials for all WI postsecondary students with disabilities. After the bill was signed into law, members of the group realized our work had just begun and as a result, a WI Access Text Law state workgroup was created. The workgroup, comprised of 2 and 4 year postsecondary disability services professionals and administrators, wrote a guide for supporting staff and disability services coordinators in implementing the law. This presentation will provide a walkthrough of the 2013 Wisconsin Postsecondary Guide for Implementing the Wisconsin Access Text Law (Act 124). Providing accessible materials to qualified postsecondary students is a vital, yet sometimes overwhelming responsibility. Because timely access to accessible textbooks is critical for academic success, persistence, an a successful transition to the world of work and independence, a formal guide to working with Act 124 is an especially important tool. Please come explore this watershed moment in disability rights in Wisconsin and plant seeds of action in your own state. |
Scott Ritter, MS, began his work with individuals with disabilities on August 12, 1981-the day his brother, Matt was born. Matt is an individual with a multiple disabilities but the heart of a lion and has profoundly influenced Scott's professional path. Scott earned his MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 2003. He worked at Madison Area Technical College as a Disability Resource Specialist for 10 years, where his duties included case management and coordination of note-taking and alternative media accommodation services. He currently works as the Associate Director at the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In his “free” time, he currently serves as Immediate Past President of WI-AHEAD, is a private AT consultant and presents on Assistive Technology and Self-Advocacy at local and national conferences.