Transcript NIMAS - OSEP Project Directors' Conference

NIMAS
National Instructional
Materials Accessibility
Standard
OSEP Project Directors
Conference
July 31, 2006
Chuck Hitchcock
Director, NIMAS TA Center
Skip Stahl
Director, NIMAS Development Center
The Plan
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Background and Problems Addressed
Quick demonstration – DTB3 & XHTML
What does the IDEA 2004 statute require?
NIMAS Standard published on July 19th
How will the system work?
Which students will qualify for specialized formats?
What types of instructional materials will be included?
The NIMAC at APH
NIMAS / NIMAC graphic – the ring
Future direction for providing accessible materials
NIMAS Development and TA Centers
NIMAS Center partners
NIMAS and NIMAC Web sites
NIMAS support resources for publishers
Problems Addressed by NIMAS
Students
Timely delivery of accessible textbooks
Appropriate formats and quality
Breaks down one barrier to the general education curriculum
Increases level of independence
Educators
Reduces scanning duplication of effort – time and money
Increases likelihood that specialized formats will be available when
they are needed by students with print disabilities
Increases awareness of what is available and how to use it
Publishers
50 States and 50 sets of requirements – complexity and cost
Copyright issues – digital rights
Digital rights management issues
Not the focus
of this brief
presentation.
Quick Demo
Daisy Book Player
NIMAS file set – quick
conversion to Daisy Book
XHTML version – for validation
and possible use within a talking
browser
NIMAS: What is it?
National Instructional Materials Accessibility
Standard – NIMAS source file set
A recommendation developed by consensus in
2004 by an expert panel of key stakeholders Approved by US Dept. of Education in July 2004
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for NIMAS was posted to
the Federal Register on 6/29/05
Standard updated as Final Rule – July 19, 2006 and ??
Based on the international DAISY Book Standard
ANSI/NISO Z39.86 2002 – NIMAS version 1.0
Daisy/NISO Z39.86 2005 – NIMAS version 1.1 -> regs
NIMAS baseline+optional elements = DAISY elements
NIMAS Statute Highlights (IDEA 2004)
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State Assurances to US Dept. of Education (Part B, Sec. 612)
 Adopt NIMAS in timely manner
 Coordinate with NIMAC or assure timely delivery of accessible materials
 Coordinate with State agency responsible for AT
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LEA Assurances to State Dept. of Education (Part B, Sec. 613)
 Coordinate with NIMAC or assure timely delivery of accessible materials
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NIMAC (Part D, Sec. 674)
 Establish and support a 'National Instructional Materials Access Center‘ at APH
 Receive and maintain a catalog of NIMAS print instructional materials
 Provide access to print instructional materials in accessible media (source files)
 Develop procedures to protect against copyright infringement.
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Applicability - Applies to print instructional materials published after 8/19/06 (regs)
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Section 121 of title 17, United States Code, is amended– (Title III)
 Not a violation of copyright for publishers to transfer files to NIMAC if required by
State and publisher has rights to publish material in print and files are to be used
to create specialized formats.
NIMAS Specification
Published on July 19, 2006 in Federal Register
Comments in response to NIMAS NPRM
The NIMAS Specification
Effective after August 18, 2006 for publishers
Posted as HTML and Word on NIMAS Website
Specification
Changes – list of updates from v.1.0 to v.1.1
Additional regulations to be included in full
publication of the IDEA 2004 regulations
NIMAS Specification – looks like
Structure and Hierarchy
Element
Description
Frontmatter Usually contains <doctitle> and <docauthor>, as well as preliminary material that
is often enclosed in appropriate <level> or <level1> etc. Content may include a copyright notice, a
foreword, an acknowledgements section, a table of contents, etc. <frontmatter> serves as a guide
to the content and nature of a <book>.bodymatterConsists of the text proper of a book, as
contrasted with preliminary material <frontmatter> or supplementary information in <rearmatter>.
Level1
The highest-level container of major divisions of a book. Used in <frontmatter>,
<bodymatter>, and <rearmatter> to mark the largest divisions of the book (usually parts or
chapters), inside which <level2> subdivisions (often sections) may nest. The class attribute
identifies the actual name (e.g., part, chapter) of the structure it marks. Contrast with <level>.
Level2
Contains subdivisions that nest within <level1> divisions. The class attribute
identifies the actual name (e.g., subpart, chapter, subsection) of the structure it marks.
H1
Contains the text of the heading for a <level1> structure.
H2
Contains the text of the heading for a <level2> structure.
Images
Element
Description
Imggroup
Provides a container for one or more <img> and associated <caption>(s) and
<prodnote>(s). A <prodnote> may contain a description of the image. The content model allows: 1)
multiple <img> if they share a caption, with the ids of each <img> in the <caption imgref="id1 id2
...">, 2) multiple <caption> if several captions refer to a single <img id="xxx"> where each caption
has the same <caption imgref="xxx">, 3) multiple <prodnote> if different versions are needed for
different media (e.g., large print, braille, or print).
NIMAS XML Markup – looks like
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<dtbook>
<head>
</head>
<book>
<bodymatter>
<level1 id="L001" class="chapter">
<h1 id="L001.H01" class="chapter"
smilref="NIMASXMLGtDepUpdateJune2006.smil#L001.H01">Chapter 24: The Great Depression</h1>
<pagenum id="page_1" page="normal"
smilref="NIMASXMLGtDepUpdateJune2006.smil#page_1">1</pagenum>
<level2 id="L001.001" class="mainsection">
<h2 id="L001.001.H01" class="mainsection"
smilref="NIMASXMLGtDepUpdateJune2006.smil#L001.001.H01">Overview</h2>
<p id="L001.001.P001">
<sent id="ghGen132" smilref="NIMASXMLGtDepUpdateJune2006.smil#ghGen132">
During the 1920s, the United States saw a time of great prosperity.
However, that would all change with the stock market crash of 1929.
The country and the world would be plunged into an economic and
social depression.
</sent>
</p>
HTML with CSS looks like
Chapter 24: The Great Depression
Overview
During the 1920s, the United States saw a time of great prosperity. However, that would all change with the stock
market crash of 1929. The country and the world would be plunged into an economic and social depression.
Companies were going bankrupt, banks were shutting down, and unemployment was skyrocketing.
One president would ignore the problem, another would radically alter the powers of government to help the nation.
People were starving both in the cities and on the farms of America.
Throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s, the people of the United States faced some of its toughest years. Only
the Second World War would put an end to The Great Depression.
The Great Depression caused immediate hardship on
everyday life. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their
homes, their jobs, and their dignity. Families, like the one
shown above, were forced to live in make-shift camps that
were overcrowded and unsanitary.
How Will it Work?
 States and districts provide assurances to qualify for federal funds:
 SEAs adopt NIMAS in a timely manner (by 12/3/06)
 SEAs and LEAs opt-in to NIMAC (by 12/3/06)
 Have option to opt out of NIMAC but must assure delivery of accessible
materials in a timely manner to students with print disabilities.
 SEAs and LEAs require publishers to submit NIMAS file sets
 Educational publishers submit source files to NIMAC (copyright protection)
 NIMAS conforming XML content files
 Images in folders: SVG, PNG or JPEG (order of preference)
 PDF of the print materials title page
 Package file (metadata and manifest - list of submitted files)
 NIMAC validates and catalogs the NIMAS file set
 Authorized SEA and National Users obtain files from NIMAC to prepare
student-ready versions of core instructional materials.
 From authorized entities, LEAs request and receive accessible instructional
materials for students with print disabilities – or, obtain them directly from
publishers if and when available.
SEA Contract and LEA
Purchase Order Language
Sample Language for SEA Textbook Adoption Contracts
and LEA Purchase Orders
By agreeing to deliver the materials marked with "NIMAS" on
this contract or purchase order, the publisher agrees to prepare and
submit, on or before ___/___/______, 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.
This is page __ of __ of this contract or purchase order.
For additional information about NIMAS, please refer to http://nimas.cast.org.
For additional information about the NIMAC, refer to http://nimac.us.
Which Students will Qualify?
 Blind and other students with print disabilities
 1996 Chafee Amendment to Copyright statute – authorized entities
can produce and distribute specialized formats to students
 Consistent with policies of existing authorized entities
 NIMAS source files are not intended for direct student use.
What Materials will be Included?
 Print Instructional Materials: The term 'print instructional materials' means
printed textbooks and related printed core materials that are written and
published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction
and are required by a State educational agency or local educational agency for use
by students in the classroom.
 K-12 textbooks, workbooks, assessments, leveled readers, etc.
 Textbook adoption & open territory state differences
 Will apply to copyright as of the date of publication of the final rule
that includes NIMAS in the Federal Register
 Additional clarification may be needed regarding this topic.
What is the NIMAC?
 A national repository of NIMAS source files maintained
and coordinated by the American Printing House for
the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky.
 Operations proposal and
funding request approved
by OSEP
 Have contracted with
Overdrive to administer
validation, security and
data base files
 Coordinate with NIMAC
 Opt In = 48 SEAs & DC
 Opt Out = 2 SEAs
State and Local
Education Agency
Opt In Scenario
SEAs and LEAs request
submission to NIMAS
starting on 12/3/06.
Applies to educational
materials published on or
after 8/19/06.
A Near Future Alternative
NIMAS issues regarding
copyright, digital rights,
compensation and
qualified students with
print disabilities will
stimulate planning and
implementation of a
Market Model Solution
that supports all students
with print disabilities – or
perhaps, all students.
Publisher
Authorized
Entities &
Contracted
Conversion
Services
LEA
Student
NIMAS Development Center
Purpose: provide national leadership to further the
development and maintenance of NIMAS and support
its large-scale implementation- Identify technological advances and pedagogical research that
support effective revisions and enhancements of NIMAS as a
standard for developing universally designed, multiple-output formats
in a cost-effective and timely manner.
 Build and support the capacity of the NIMAS Technical Assistance
Center, which was also established by OSEP, to implement the
adoption of NIMAS by states and other entities;
 Explore the feasibility of a market driven distribution model to
increase the quality, quantity, and timely delivery of accessible
materials.
Two open committee meetings held each calendar year:
1.
January just prior to the ATIA Conference – Orlando, FL
2.
September – Dallas, TX
NIMAS TA Center
Purpose: provide support to publishers and states to
ensure the successful implementation of NIMAS- Plan and evaluate technical assistance to improve the availability
and timely delivery of accessible materials to student and teachers;
 Implement technical assistance to states and other entities that
have adopted or are considering adopting NIMAS to support for a
timely phase-in of NIMAS;
 Facilitate collaboration among various Department-funded
stakeholders to ensure a coordinated and effective implementation
of NIMAS; and
 Disseminate relevant information and resources about the benefits
and availability of accessible digital materials to key stakeholders.
Recent NIMAS Technical Assistance
 Publishers and Conversion Services
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Focus on AAP, AEP and SIIA member publishers
Publicize conversion houses on NIMAS web site
NIMAS Web exemplars and other resources
Presentations, Trainings and Teleconferences
Phone and email support
 SEAs
 NIMAS Web resources
 Presentations, Trainings and Teleconferences
 Phone and email support
 LEAs
 NIMAS Web resources
 Email support
 Office of Special Education Programs
NIMAS Center Partners
 NIMAS Development and TA Centers at CAST
http://nimas.cast.org
Client version demo
http://nimac.us
NIMAS Center Website Resources
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History of IMAA and NIMAS
The NIMAS & NIMAC related language from IDEA 2004 statute
The most current version of the NIMAS technical specification (v1.1)
List of NIMAS Development Committee members
List of NIMAS related conference presentations and Webcasts
Minutes of the bi-annual NIMAS Development Committee meetings
A detailed NIMAS/NIMAC FAQ and SEA Guidelines
Other resources for publishers, conversion houses and states 
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Background knowledge on DAISY, XML & accessible materials
Guidance on the development of NIMAS file sets
Links to conversion houses that can help with NIMAS file development
NIMAS baseline file sets and supplemental exemplars
Links to research on the use of electronic text in education
Links to legislation and regulation pertaining to NIMAS, NIMAC and copyright
laws related to the provision of accessible materials
http://nimas.cast.org