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Subject: Accessible Instructional
Materials/Print Disabilities/Accessing NIMAS File Sets
Source: Heike Imler, Interim Assistant Director, Effective Practices
Intended Audience: Educators and Administrators
Date: December 4, 2007
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires the timely
delivery of accessible instructional materials to students who are IDEA
eligible. To assist in implementation of this requirement, IDEA established
the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) that serves as a
repository for electronic files prepared in the National Instructional
Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) format. In developing local
district compliance plans, most LEAs decided to coordinate with the NIMAC.
Those districts should now be requiring publishers to deliver a NIMAS file
set to the NIMAC for purchases of instructional materials.
Information is now available at
http://www.at.mo.gov/idea.html about how to access NIMAS file sets for
those districts who decided to coordinate with the NIMAC. In brief, those
steps are -
1. Download and sign the Limitation of Use Agreement (LUA) and submit to
Missouri Assistive Technology (MoAT) as the authorized user for NIMAC.
LEAs must provide with the LUA a copy of the agreement language the LEA is
using for purchase of instructional materials that obligates publishers to
provide NIMAS file sets to NIMAC.
2. After the LUA and attachments have been provided, submit a request form
for each student who needs a specific NIMAS file set (usually textbook
title). Districts are encouraged to check the NIMAC repository to ascertain
if the title needed is available at the current time. For students who are
visually impaired, districts should also contact Missouri School for the
Blind to check student's eligibility for APH services and the availability
of existing alternative format materials.
3. If the requested NIMAS files set is available in the NIMAC repository,
MoAT will download the file set and provide it to the LEA for conversion
into the appropriate specialized format(s). If the file set is not
available, MoAT will work with the district to identify alternatives for
delivery of accessible materials. Districts are also encouraged to check
other sources for electronic text such as Bookshare
http://www.bookshare.org/web/Welcome.html.
Please review the information at http://www.at.mo.gov/idea.html and if you have any questions feel free
to contact Elaine Houtman, Missouri Assistive Technology at
ehoutman@swbell.net or
816-350-5287.
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