• Physical disabilities • Visual impairments • Cognitive disabilities • Communication and language needs • English Language Learners. Adapted books may come in a variety of formats, including paper-based or electronic versions. Adapting a book typically means adjusting someone else’s work. Photocopying or altering a printed material may initially feel strange or almost unethical. However, the Chafee Amend- ment (Sec. 121 of the Copyright Act) provides that “it is not an infringement of copyright for an authorized entity to repro- duce or to distribute copies or phonorecords of a previously published, nondramatic literary work if such copies or phono- records are reproduced or distributed in specialized formats exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.” In order to remain in compliance with copyright law, you must own a copy of the book in order to make adaptations. Universal Design for Learning All students come to school with their own unique set of experiences, strengths, needs and preferences or interests. In
the special education world, modifying and adapting materi- als to meet this diverse set of learning styles and needs typi- cally becomes second nature. More often than not, what we do for our students with significant learning needs is consid- ered best practice for all students. Special education is becom- ing less specialized in the sense that only a small number of students are able to access certain instructional strategies and supports. Instead, identifying and analyzing potential barriers present in our curriculum, along with considering individual learner strengths and needs, allows educators to be proactive by planning ahead for potential accommodations and modifi- cations that any student in general education or special educa- tion may require in order to fully participate in the classroom environment. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which was first intro- duced in the 1990s by Anne Meyer and David Rose, is “a frame- work to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn,” (CAST, 2018). This framework influences the development of learning goals, instructional methods and materials and assess- ments that can be adjusted to equalize learning opportunities for all students. UDL aims to make rigorous curriculum acces-
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