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This study examined state education technology plans and technology accessibility statutes to attempt to answer the question—is K–12 instructional technology accessibility discussed in state-level technology accessibility statutes and education technology plans across the 50 United States? When a K–12 school district is planning the construction or acquisition of a new digital technology, are the legal requirements for making that digital environment accessible to people with disabilities part of the decision process? Just like built environments, digital environments can either be accessible or inaccessible to people with disabilities; the digital environment can either support or impede the inclusion of people with disabilities. At the federal level, statutes, regulations, and policy guidance make it clear that technology must be accessible to students with disabilities in K–12 schools. The message from the federal government is consistent. But what messages are state governments communicating, through statutes and policies, to K–12 educators about technology accessibility?

Spatial ability is a well-known predictor of success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand the spatial strategies that were used by blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals as they solved problems on the tactile mental cutting test (TMCT), an instrument that was designed to measure the spatial ability of BLV audiences. The TMCT is an accessible adaptation of the older, 1938 version of the mental cutting test (MCT) that has been used extensively in spatial ability research. Additionally, this paper seeks to compare these strategies with existing strategies that have been investigated with sighted populations. The BLV community is underrepresented in engineering and in spatial ability research. By understanding how BLV students understand and solve spatial problems and concepts, educators can develop and enhance educational content that is relevant to this population. By incorporating perspectives from the BLV community and making STEM curricula accessible to this population, more BLV individuals may be encouraged to pursue STEM or engineering career pathways.

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