The ARC-BC Project
Who is involved in developing and managing ARC-BC?
PRCVI (the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired) and SET-BC (Special Education Technology – British Columbia) are working together to develop and manage ARC-BC. The project team will also consult with educational, government, and industry partners through the research and development phases to ensure the alternate format materials provided meet the needs of BC educators.
What types of alternate format materials will be available through ARC-BC?
This project will initially focus on the provision of recommended learning resources that are related to the K – 12 British Columbia curriculum. Those supporting students with print or perceptual disabilities will be able to access these curriculum materials in a range of formats including electronic text (e.g. simple text, rich text, scanned text), electronic books that incorporate text and graphics, talking books, Braille or Nemeth code or tactile graphics.
How will BC school districts take part in this project?
Educators in the BC school system will be involved in every phase of the ARC-BC project. They will provide important information on the current usage of digital or alternate format materials and potential barriers to electronic distribution of these materials. Initially, ARC-BC will be piloted in 8 BC school districts with all BC educators supporting students with print or perceptual disabilities having access to the resources when it is completed.