SB 842 Karnette

BILL NUMBER: SB 842 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Senator Karnette
FEBRUARY 21, 2003
An act to add Section 60061.8 to the Education Code, relating to
instructional materials.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 842, as introduced, Karnette. Instructional materials:
universal design.
Existing law provides for the adoption and selection of quality
instructional materials for use in elementary and secondary schools,
and imposes requirements upon publishers and manufacturers of
instructional materials.
This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to require
publishers to apply universal design strategies when creating
instructional materials. The bill would also require publishers to
extend design principles of traditional media to instructional
materials, and to design digital multimedia programs intended for use
by the general population of pupils in ways that facilitate access
by pupils with disabilities who are progressing in the general
curriculum.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 60061.8 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
60061.8. (a) Recognizing that the range of performance and
ability of pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive,
varies greatly, it is the intent of the Legislature to require
publishers to apply universal design strategies when creating
instructional materials intended for use by pupils and teachers in
the public schools after January 1, 2004.
(b) "Performance and ability," as used in this section, means the
ability to see, hear, move, read, write, attend, organize, focus,
engage, and remember.
(c) "Universal design," as used in this section, means integrated
design strategies that accommodate the widest range of pupils
possible, including those with disabilities. Integrated design
strategies shall be applied to print, video, audio, and digital
instructional materials, or any combination thereof.
(d) A publisher shall extend design principles of traditional
media to include the following:
(1) All print materials shall have sharp, clear, high contrast
fonts. Print materials designed for kindergarten and grades 1 and 2
shall use fonts that are at least 20 point.
(2) All video products shall be closed-captioned for
hearing-impaired pupils, except those portions, if any, where the
publisher does not have the rights to do so.
(3) Internet resources for pupils shall meet or exceed widely
accepted standards for Web accessibility, as determined by the State
Department of Education.
(e) A publisher shall design digital multimedia programs intended
for use by the general population of pupils in ways that facilitate
access by pupils with disabilities who are progressing in the general
curriculum. Accessible design attributes shall be incorporated when
the specifications of the digital multimedia can functionally
accommodate features of universal design. If technologically
feasible, a publisher shall design the multimedia program to allow
the user to control sizing of images and fonts, speed and volume of
audio, colors or contrast, or both colors and contrast, and other
inherently transformable attributes, but not for modification of
content, to match individual performance and abilities. If a
publisher is not able to create a multimedia program that satisfies
the requirements of this subdivision, an alternative accessible
format, such as a rich text file (RTF), meeting State Department of
Education specifications, shall be provided by the publisher at no
additional cost.