The project funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF, now DfE) was lead by the Dolphin Inclusive Consortium. It tested a model for the provision of textbooks and other curriculum materials in electronic files for pupils who struggle to read books in their standard format due to problems with sight or reading e.g. Dyslexia.
40 pupils aged 11 to 14 across 9 schools were given laptops and software so that they could adapt and read the files in a format best suited to their own particular circumstances.
At present, many children are not able to access the full curriculum because materials are not made available to them in a format that they can use and at the time that they need them. It is hoped that this project will lead to a sustainable model that can be extended throughout schools to meet the needs of many more pupils who are disadvantaged by the lack of curriculum materials in formats that they can readily access. We also aspire to providing pupils with valuable skills and tools that they will be able to use throughout the rest of their education and lives.