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Issue 26 | January 2026

Special Education Technology
Center

Inclusive Insights & Access Tips

Literacy Is Access: Building the Foundation
for Communication, Learning, and Life

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Literacy is a human right—and access to reading and writing should never be determined by how a student communicates, moves, or learns. Access to literacy is one of the most fundamental, functional life skills anyone can have, forming the foundation for learning, self-advocacy, participation, and becoming an independent communicator across school, community, and life.
This month’s newsletter focuses on Literacy for All, highlighting tools and instructional practices that make meaningful reading and writing possible for students with significant support needs. Grounded in the work of Dr. Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver’s Comprehensive Literacy for All (CLFA), this approach presumes competence and recognizes that all students can learn to read and write when provided with comprehensive, evidence-based literacy instruction paired with appropriate access and supports.

Through our CLFA work, we consistently see inclusive literacy take root when students have:

Together, these elements create inclusive literacy environments where access and instruction work hand in hand—positioning every student as a reader, writer, and communicator.

✔️ Learn more about CLFA and how your team can support inclusive literacy system-wide
✔️ Take our asynchronous course “Unlocking Literacy for Students with Disabilities“
👉 Visit the CLFA book collection for ready-made lesson planning ideas and materials!

Give Every Student a Way to Write

Writing doesn’t require a pencil. If a student has an idea, they need a way to put it into the world.
Try this today:
✔ Offer at least one alternative way to write (keyboard, AAC, word bank, eye gaze, switch, stamps, or letter tiles)
✔ Accept dictation or AAC-generated writing as real writing
✔ Focus on ideas and meaning, not spelling or mechanics
Why this matters: Writing is how students think, communicate, and participate. When writing is accessible, students build literacy and agency.

Belonging Grows Through Being Accepted

Being accepted means you don’t have to earn your place—you are welcomed as you are. For students with disabilities, acceptance shows up when their ways of reading, writing, and communicating are treated as valid and expected: AAC is on the table, multiple ways to write are available, and literacy instruction includes everyone from the start. Grounded in Comprehensive Literacy for All, acceptance reflects the belief that every student is a reader, writer, and communicator with ideas that matter—and that they belong in the learning community exactly as they are.

Use AI to Generate Multiple Ways for Students to Respond

AI can support inclusive literacy by helping educators plan accessible response options that honor how students already communicate.)

Try this today:

  1. After selecting a shared text, ask AI to generate:
    • Sentence stems or starters that can be programmed into or modeled on a student’s AAC system.
    • Response frames that support commenting, predicting, or explaining (not just answering questions).
    • Choice-based response options that students can select and expand on using their existing communication system.
  2. Model using these responses during instruction to show how ideas become language and writing.

Why this matters: CLFA emphasizes meaningful participation in literacy through communication. Using a student’s current system supports independence, authorship, and authentic language development.

Classroom Example

  • The teacher selects a shared grade-level text.
  • Using AI, the teacher generates sentence starters, response frames, and choice prompts (e.g., I think…, I noticed…, This part makes me feel…).
  • The teacher adds or models these language structures on the student’s existing AAC system.
  • During reading, the student uses their AAC system to:
      • Share an opinion
      • Make a prediction
      • Respond to a peer
  • The teacher models and expands the student’s message, reinforcing both communication and literacy.

SETC SPOTLIGHT: Meet SUE WRIGHT

“When challenges arise, Sue approaches them with a solutions-focused mindset and is often heard saying, “Okay, we can make this work.”


Sue Wright, Program Support Supervisor and Program Coordinator, has contributed more than 25 years of service to Central Washington University through various grants and roles, including the past 15 years with the Special Education Technology Center (SETC). Her steady leadership, creativity, and commitment have made a lasting impact on students, staff, and educators across Washington State.
A gifted mentor, Sue supervises and trains student employees while supporting SETC’s mission. She also maintains the lending library, manages PD data, and provides support for SETC and Family Grants. This work reflects Sue’s deeply held values of access in education, as her career has merged a passion for supporting continuing education for all who seek new skills.
Beyond CWU, Sue is an accomplished artist and nature photographer with a permanent installation in Ellensburg’s Creative District. She enjoys traveling, then returning home to small-town life and spending cherished time with her grandchildren.