The Terry James Resource Centre (TJRC) is a hub for many wonderful things at the Upper Grand District School Board, whether it be books, eBooks or providing resources for staff and students.
What many may not know is that the TJRC also has accessible materials and tools, including books that can be used to educate students and staff about accessibility needs.
Prepared for National AccessAbility Week in May, TJRC has a great list of all kinds of books by and about people with disabilities. This list includes picture book biographies, teacher resources, and eBooks. Staff can access the list here.
TJRC also provides students with accessible materials that help ensure equity in teaching and learning, as well as tools for recreational reading. Some of these tools include Wonderbooks and Playaways, text to speech pens, and braille books. Playaways are a self-contained and portable audiobook player that requires no internet connection. Wonderbooks are physical children’s books that have a permanent audio player to allow for a read-along experience.
TJRC also has many databases and digital resources that feature options to listen to content aloud or to change the text size or font appearance. These resources can be accessed through the student UGCloud landing page - more details are available on the TJRC website.
The links below redirect users to TJRC website page with details about accessibility features:
TJRC also facilitates UGDSB’s partnership with CELA - the Centre for Equitable Library Access. CELA is a national not-for-profit organization that provides accessible reading services to the approximately 3 million people across Canada with print disabilities. Through their Educator Access Program, teachers are empowered to access texts in accessible formats like audiobooks and print braille for students with print disabilities. Learn more about TJRC’s partnership with CELA here.
Let’s get reading UGDSB! Learn more about Accessibility at TJRC here.
