These materials empower all students with activities that capitalize on their existing strengths and abilities to ensure that all learners can participate meaningfully in rigorous mathematical content. Lessons support a flexible approach to instruction and provide teachers with options for additional support to address the needs of a diverse group of students, positioning all learners as competent, valued contributors.

When planning to support access, teachers should consider the strengths and needs of their particular students. The following areas of cognitive functioning are integral to learning mathematics (Addressing Accessibility Project, Brodesky et al., 2002).

Conceptual Processing includes perceptual reasoning, problem solving, and metacognition.
Language includes auditory and visual language processing and expression.
Visual-Spatial Processing includes processing visual information and understanding relation in space of visual mathematical representations and geometric concepts.
Organization includes organizational skills, attention, and focus.
Memory includes working memory and short-term memory.
Attention includes paying attention to details, maintaining focus, and filtering out extraneous information.
Social-Emotional Functioning includes interpersonal skills and the cognitive comfort and safety required in order to take risks and make mistakes.
Fine-motor Skills include tasks that require small muscle movement and coordination such as manipulating objects (graphing, cutting with scissors, writing).

Supplemental instructional strategies that can be used to increase access, reduce barriers and maximize learning are included in each lesson, listed in the activity narratives under “Access for Students with Disabilities.” Each support is aligned to the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, and based on one of the three principles of UDL, to provide alternative means of engagement, representation, or action and expression. These supports provide teachers with additional ways to adjust the learning environment so that students can access activities, engage in content, and communicate their understanding. Supports are tagged with the areas of cognitive functioning they are designed to address to help teachers identify and select appropriate supports for their students. Designed to facilitate access to Tier 1 instruction by capitalizing on student strengths to address challenges related to cognitive functions or disabilities, these strategies and supports are appropriate for any students who need additional support to access rigorous, grade-level content.

Teachers are encouraged to use what they know about their students’ IEPs, strengths and challenges, and a UDL approach to ensure access. In cases where students may benefit from alternative means of access or support, teachers can draw on ideas from the pages below or visit visit the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST).

Access for students with disabilities