ACE Supports Legislation Promoting Equal Access to Education for Students with Disabilities
September 26, 2016

ACE believes that equal access to higher education for students with disabilities is a critical issue. That is why ACE strongly supports the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education (AIM HE) Act, which was introduced in the House Friday by Reps. Phil Roe (R-TN) and Joe Courtney (D-CT).

The AIM HE Act will create a commission charged with developing voluntary accessibility guidelines for instructional materials used in postsecondary educational programs. The commission also will develop a list of existing information technology standards on accessibility as a resource for colleges and universities and the companies that work with them.

“Inclusion is a core value of higher education. We believe this legislation provides a path forward to better serve students with disabilities by working to increase accessibility and equal opportunities to learn,” said Terry W. Hartle, ACE senior vice president for government and public affairs. “We are grateful to Reps. Roe and Courtney for leading on this issue. We look forward to the work of the commission that is created by this legislation and will work with Congress and our member institutions to ensure that this important bill is passed.”

ACE is working to pass this legislation in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind, the Association of American Publishers and the Software and Information Industry Association.

The bill also has broad higher education community support and is backed by a wide array of higher education associations, including: EDUCAUSE; the Association of Research Libraries; the National Association of College and University Attorneys; the Association of American Universities; the American Association of Community Colleges; the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; the American Association of State Colleges and Universities; and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.