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         Saturday, May 18, 2013

Historically, the Ministry of Education supported school divisions with assistance through ACCESS for students who were identified with needs related to hearing and visual impairments.

Since the amalgamation of school divisions in January 2006, school divisions have been building capacity to meet the needs of all students as guided by The Education Act, 1995, and ministry documents including Actualizing a Needs-Based Model to Support Student Achievement – A Journey of Transformation.  School divisions have been encouraged to provide what is required for students to learn based not on a diagnosis such as a hearing or visual impairment, but rather on their needs.

As of July 1, 2012, ACCESS supports will be available to school divisions through a new agreement relationship.  Instead of the Ministry of Education entering into agreements directly with ACCESS service providers, school divisions will have the opportunity to enter into agreements directly with ACCESS service providers:

Wendy White, consultant for students with hearing disabilities, educational programming;
the.whites@sasktel.net , 306-242-7289

Saskatchewan Pediatric Auditory Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC):

Lynne Brewster, audiology consultant and auditory-verbal therapist for children with hearing loss.
lynne.brewster@usask.ca , 306-966-6954

Alexa Gorenko, speech-language pathology consultant and auditory-verbal therapist for children with hearing loss.
alexa.gorenko@usask.ca , 306-665-1317

Susan Carney, consultant for students with visual disabilities, educational programming;
srcarney@sasktel.net , 306-955-9148

Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
cheryl.mcbean@cnib.ca , 306-374-4545

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.  For more information, please e-mail AFMrequests@spsd.sk.ca.

Related Links
Alternate Format Library- Resources Catalogue

The Alternate Format Resources Catalogue contains kits, audiobooks, e-text, large print and Braille books held in the Ministry of Education Alternate Format Library at Saskatoon Public School Division. These materials may be borrowed for the length of the school year for students with perceptual disabilities. These would be students who have a visual disability or other physical disability which makes using standard print difficult. For copyright reasons, disability must be verified to the Alternate Format Library by a student support services teacher or vision teacher.

It is strongly recommended that the student have a learning media assessment by a vision teacher. Such verification may be required before the Ministry of Education Alternate Format Library at Saskatoon Public School Division approves the production or purchase of expensive alternate format materials for the student. Such an assessment by a vision teacher will clarify the format in which the student should be receiving materials, suggest if Braille instruction is necessary, or if there is a technology or simple classroom adaptation which will serve the student better.

Visual Disabilities
Hearing Disabilities
Psychoeducational Assessments
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