ABSTRACT
Educators and researchers have struggled with questions stemming from the intersection of distance delivery and technological aff ordances for students with disabilities (Kinash & Crichton, 2007). Central to these questions is how the prevalence of distance education might increase access to students with disabilities, what services are most important in supporting distance learners, and what standard accommodations and innovations specifi cally encourage diverse learners (Kim-Rupnow, Dowrick, & Burke, 2001, p. 37). In attempting to answer these core questions, additional issues arise, including, but not limited to; how educators can promote universal design (Burgstahler & Cory, 2008; Connell et al., n.d.; Rose & Meyer, 2002) in distance education by disrupting the traditional dependency on text with the thoughtful addition of visual and auditory interfaces which tend to be more inclusive; and how might the emergence of tablet devices supplement and, in some cases, replace assistive technologies.
