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The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard Supported by: United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Included in Part B and Part D: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 Chuck Hitchcock, Project Director, NIMAS Technical Assistance Center Skip Stahl, Project Director, NIMAS Development Center Quick View of NIMAS / NIMAC Collaboration between: SEAs and LEAs adopt NIMAS in a timely manner SEAs and LEAs opt into NIMAC Educational Publishers submit source files to NIMAC Authorized Entities use files to prepare student-ready versions of core instructional materials LEAs request and receive accessible instructional materials for students with print disabilities Devil is in the details! IDEA 2004 Part B, Sec 612 – …the state submits a plan that provides assurances that… •the State adopts the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard… • …to ensure that children with disabilities who need instructional materials in accessible formats… receive those instructional materials in a timely manner. The Challenge Collaboration between: State Department of Special Education State Agency for Assistive Technology State/Local Agencies involved in Textbook Purchasing The Challenge Assurances for: •“Adoption” of the NIMAS •Acquisition of alternate format textbooks: -Coordinate with the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) – Yes/No ? -Purchase materials directly from publishers Why Opt In? When SEAs and LEAs Opt In: •Supports copyright indemnification for publishers •Helps to develop a national bank of source files •More economical •Reduces duplication of effort •Improved quality of accessible student products •Supports existing systems while improving timeliness The Goal Access, Participation & Progress The Solution What is the NIMAS? The standard for publisher source files established by the Secretary to be used in the preparation of electronic files suitable and used solely for efficient conversion into specialized formats. NIMAS Source Files: Not intended to be used directly by students with print disabilities. Student Ready Versions: Braille, Digital Talking Books, Audio Books and Large Print Versions The Solution What is the NIMAC? A national repository of NIMAS source files maintained and coordinated by the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky A Possible Distribution Flow Textbook Order Publisher NIMAC at APH XML Print Version Conversion Entity Alternate Formats: Braille, Digital Talking Book, Large Print, etc. NIMAS Coordination with the NIMAC will address the needs of students who qualify under the “Chafee Amendment” copyright exemption. Regardless of whether or not a student qualifies under Chafee, SEAs and LEAs have the responsibility to provide all print-disabled students with accessible, alternate format materials in a timely manner. The NIMAS and the national repository (NIMAC) will support both student populations by making the creation and distribution of these materials more efficient. Implementation Schedule Without benefit of the final rule – our interpretation: •Once NIMAS final rule is published, SEA and LEA adopt NIMAS in a timely manner. •Publication start date for new and revised versions publishers must consider is likely to be Copyright 2006. •NIMAC established on December 4, 2005 and begins planning for implementation. •On or before December 4, 2006, SEAs and LEAs, when contracting for or purchasing core instructional materials, require publishers to prepare and deliver NIMAS files to the NIMAS. NIMAS NIMAS Partners: NIMAS Resources The AFB NIMAS Planning Checklist NIMAS Resources http://NIMAS.cast.org Learn More This Afternoon! Today’s Afternoon NIMAS Session: •Planning for the future (December, 2006) •State and LEA “Assurances” – What is involved? •What materials are included as “core”? •Why coordinating with the NIMAC is a good idea. (or, if an SEA “opts out” can an LEA still “opt in”? •Which students are eligible for these materials? •Guidelines for state implementation of NIMAS •And more !