According to the Ministry of Education Special Education Funding Guidelines, the purpose of the Special Equipment Amount (SEA) is to provide funding to school boards to assist with the costs of equipment essential to support students with special education needs where the need for specific equipment is recommended by a qualified professional. This equipment is to provide students with accommodations that are directly required and essential to access the Ontario curriculum, a board-determined alternative program and/or course and/or to attend school.
Where a student is enrolled in a District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) school or program and has been provided with SEA-funded Assistive Technology (SEA equipment), the student may be allowed to take the SEA equipment home in order to assist the student to meet the expectations and goals as outlined in the Ontario curriculum and in the student’s IEP.
The DSBN provides the opportunity for home use of some types of SEA equipment (e.g., Laptop, Chromebook), as determined by the DSBN, to support the student’s pursuit of academic success.
Students are expected to use equipment in a responsible, respectful and lawful manner, which must be in compliance with all relevant federal and provincial legislation, the Mission Statement, the Beliefs of the DSBN, and DSBN’s Administrative Procedures.