NIMAS Requirements for Districts
Availability of NIMAS Files–Asking Publisher for NIMAS Files:
If a district has chosen to coordinate with the NIMAS, they are required to include language in their contracts with publishers to have them submit NIMAS files to NIMAC as part of the transaction for all printed materials purchased (see boxed item below for sample language for purchase orders).
Required Language for ISD/LEA Purchase Orders
By agreeing to deliver materials marked “NIMAS” on this contract or purchase order, the publisher agrees to prepare and submit, on or before (insert date) a NIMAS file set to the NIMAC that complies with the terms and procedures set forth by the NIMAC.
Should the vendor be a distributor of the materials and not the publisher, the distributor agrees to immediately notify the publisher of its obligation to submit NIMAS file sets of the purchased products to the NIMAC. The files will be used for the production of alternate formats as permitted under the law for students with print disabilities.
Additional (Optional) Language for ISDs/LEAs
The publisher agrees to provide or make available for purchase in lieu of the printed textbook an accessible version (e.g. NIMAS, unlocked PDF) for students who have print disabilities and are unable to access printed text but do not meet eligibility requirements under the Copyright Act of 1931 as Amended. If not available at this time, districts will seek a commercially available option. If no such option exists, an accessible version may be created by the district for the sole purpose of making the textbook accessible to eligible students in order to meet its obligation to provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). In such cases, a standard copy of the textbook will also be purchased. The (insert name) school district requires accessible instructional materials in order to meet the needs of students with print disabilities, and preference will be given to publishers who offer accessible textbooks as an option.
For additional language, visit http://mits.cenmi.org/AIMNIMAS.aspx
Professional Development for Teachers
Providing accessible materials to an eligible student does not guarantee student achievement. In order to effectively use accessible materials, staff and students will likely require training. In addition, most electronic forms of these materials will require assistive technology that can add needed supports. This, too, will likely require additional training for staff and students.
Making It Happen–What Educators Need to Know
In order to clearly communicate with publishers, teachers, and parents, the educational leaders in every district must understand and be knowledgeable about AIM. School leaders must know the specific types of accessible materials their students need and how these materials can be used. It is important to understand that digital, online versions of documents are not inherently accessible. When requesting accessible versions from publishers, the content should include all components of the print work (images, text, charts, graphs, and hyperlinks). The final file should have a screen resolution of 300 dots per inch and the same dimensions as the printed textbook. The file types that districts should consider requesting, in order from most to least flexible, are:
- Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY)/NIMAS with cascading style sheet.
- HyperText Markup Language (HTML).
- Portable Document Format (PDF) (unlocked, embedded fonts, single page).
- Rich Text Format (RTF)/Word document.
Collaboration: Providing accessible materials in a timely manner to all students who need them requires a close working relationship among a district’s special education leaders, teachers, media specialists, and the curriculum coordinators. Curriculum coordinators typically have working relationships with textbook publishers, thus it is imperative that they ask for AIM whenever ordering materials and give preference to those publishers who make AIM available. Curriculum coordinators are often involved in initiatives such as Response to Intervention (RtI) and Universal Design for Learning and may share a high interest in pursuing the use of accessible materials district wide in order to improve student performance in many core content classes. Assistive technology specialists play a vital role in determining the level of accessibility as well as in implementation. Districts are encouraged to include assistive technology specialists in their curriculum or textbook adoption committees. In addition, media specialists and technology integration personnel are often essential to the effective implementation of AIM.
AIM Coordination: Each ISD should have a person responsible for AIM coordination, and each local should have one or more persons who act as district AIM coordinators or digital rights managers. A close working relationship should be established between the ISD and local district AIM coordinators. Likewise, there should be a coordinated effort to collaborate with the state’s NIMAS/AIM coordinator, as well as Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Bookshare.org, and other alternative media producers. The effective use of AIM in schools requires time and a coordinated effort. Collaboration between general and special education staff is an essential part of the equation. Districts should immediately begin discussion about AIM goal setting and staff responsibilities.
Summary
- NIMAS is the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, a flexible file format that can be converted to Braille, Large Print, Digital/Electronic Text, and Audio.
- SEAs, ISDs, and LEAs must adopt NIMAS as indicated in the IDEA 2004.
- There is no inherent obligation on the part of publishers to upload NIMAS files to the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) unless specific language is included in contracts/purchase agreements with publishers. Districts are required to include this language in all contracts.
- Not every student will be eligible to receive files from the NIMAC or accessible media producers, yet districts are obligated to provide AIM to students with disabilities
who cannot gain meaning from printed text. - Schools should consider selection, acquisition, and use of AIM.
- Request and purchase AIM directly from publishers when possible.
- Collaboration is essential to effective implementation of AIM.
- Districts are encouraged to develop procedures for the delivery of AIM.
