Assistance, Collaboration, Consultation and Evaluation Support Services & Alternate Format Materials

The Assistance, Collaboration, Consultation & Evaluation Support Services (ACCESS) Project provides consultation, professional development and alternate format materials in the area of supports for learning.

ACCESS support is offered to assist school divisions with students who are identified with:

• Visual disabilities
  
• Hearing disabilities.

Consultations/Professional Development

The ACCESS consultants and organizations available for consultation include:

• Susan Carney, consultant for students with visual disabilities,
  
• Wendy White, consultant for students with hearing disabilities,
  
• Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and,
  
• Saskatchewan Pediatric Auditory Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC)

A tiered response model is used to guide interventions, including pre-referral checklists, for students with visual and/or hearing disabilities. This model supports classroom teachers and school-based teams to ensure students to reach their full potential through assistive technology, differentiated instruction, inclusive practices, and early intervention, among others. For students not reaching their full potential through these interventions, additional support in partnership with ACCESS consultants and/or organizations may be required. The process for obtaining these services is as follows:

1. After the school /school division team has identified the specific need for services from an ACCESS consultant and/or organization, the ACCESS referral form is completed and submited to a school division service approver for review and approval (see related documents below).
   
   
2. The school division service approver will submit the approved referral to the ACCESS consultant and/or organization.
   
   
3. ACCESS consultants will complete an initial phone call to the school to gather information on the classroom adaptations and interventions currently in place.
   
   
4. ACCESS consultants will complete on-site consultations with school and/or school division team members, including parents, who support students with visual and/or hearing disabilities. 
   
   
5. Where on-going support services are identified, the ACCESS consultants will develop a plan in collaboration school and school division teams. 
   

Alternate Format Materials

Alternate format materials (Braille, Large Print, Kits, E-Text, and Audio) are loaned and borrowed through library services and produced, when requested (see related links below).  Saskatoon Public School Division provides this service to all Saskatchewan school divisions on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

Additional Information

For more information on ACCESS and/or Alternate Format Materials, contact Corey Hadden.