hando… · web viewthe world on a string: connecting through the . expanded core curriculum....

Texas Focus 2007The World on a String:

Connecting through the Expanded Core Curriculum

NIMAS and You

What Does the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)

Mean to Me?

Jim Allan, Pat Hatcher, Charles Mayo, and Mary Ann SillerTuesday, June 19, 2007

3:30PM – 5:00 PM

NIMAS/NIMAC GlossaryAAP (Association of American Publishers)....3Accessibility.................................................3AEP (Association of Educational Publishers).3AFB (American Foundation for the Blind).....3ALT Tag (Alternative Text)...........................3AMPs (Accessible Media Producers).............3ASCII............................................................3ANSI (American National Standards Institute)3ANSI/NISO Z39.86........................................4APH (American Printing House for the Blind)4ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association) 4Attribute.......................................................4Authorized Entity.........................................4Authorized User...........................................4BANA (Braille Authority of North America).. .4Blind or Other Persons with Print Disabilities4BRF (Digital Braille)......................................4CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) 5Chafee Amendment.....................................5Coordinating Agencies.................................5Coordination Agreement..............................5CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)........................5DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem) 5DAISY Consortium........................................5Digital Text..................................................5DocBook.......................................................5DPI (Dots Per Inch).......................................6DRM (Digital Rights Management)...............6DTD (Document Type Definition).................6

NIMAS/NIMAC Glossary Version 1.1 (05/10/23) Page 1

DTB (Digital Talking Book)...........................6DTBook........................................................6Dublin Core..................................................6E-Book (Electronic Book)..............................6Element.......................................................6E-Text (Electronic Text)................................6FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)....7Grade II Braille/Contracted Braille................7HTML (HyperText Markup Language)...........7IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) 7IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum)7IRCBVI (Instructional Resource Centers for the Blind and Visually Impaired).................................7JPG (also JPEG; Joint Photographic Experts Group)....................................................................7LEA (Local Education Agency)......................7LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)............8LUA (Limitation of Use Agreement)..............8MathML (Mathematical Mark-up Language). 8Metadata......................................................8MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension)8NASDSE (National Association of State Directors of Special Education).......................................8Nemeth Braille Code....................................8NFF (National File Format Technical Panel). .8NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Access Center).........................................................8NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard).....................................................9NIMAS-Conformant Files..............................9


NISO.............................................................9NNC (NIMAS/NIMAC Coordinator).................9OCR (Optical Character Reader)..................9OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs)9OSERS (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services)....................................................10Package File...............................................10PDF (Portable Document Format)..............10PNG (Portable Network Graphics)..............10Print Instructional Materials.......................10Producer’s Note (<prodnote>)..................10Related Print Core Materials......................10SEA (State Education Agency)...................10SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) 10SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)..................................................11SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics).................11Tactile Graphics.........................................11Tag.............................................................11TEI (Text Encoding Initiative).....................11Textbook....................................................11UDL (Universal Design for Learning)..........11W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)...........11Wiki............................................................12XML (EXtensible Markup Language)...........12


AAP (Association of American Publishers)The Association of American Publishers (AAP) is the largest trade association of publishing companies in the United States. Its members are principally book and academic publishers.http://www.publishers.org/

AccessibilityIn the context of technology, accessibility most commonly refers to providing access for all people to web environments, including people with disabilities. Designing sites for the way that screen readers, text browsers, and other adaptive technologies interact with the web; choosing contrasting colors for readability, and providing alternative text tags for graphics are examples of making web sites more accessible.

AEP (Association of Educational Publishers)The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) is a national, non-profit professional organization for publishers of educational materials.http://www.edpress.org/

AFB (American Foundation for the Blind)The American Foundation for the Blind is a non-profit organization that expands possibilities for people with visual impairments. AFB has been advocating for the rights of people who are blind or visually impaired for more than 80 years.http://www.afb.org/

ALT Tag (Alternative Text)An alt tag is a brief description of a single image designed to be read by a screenreader as an alternative

2007 Texas Focus –Siller 1

http://www.afb.org/

http://www.edpress.org/

http://www.publishers.org/

to that image. Alt tags are approximately 4–10 words long and state the type of image and a brief summary of it; when possible the alt tag expresses the purpose of the image as well. Alt tag text does not interpret an image (i.e., smiling, not happy). A producer’s note (prodnote) or long description (LD) is used to provide a full or comprehensive description of an image, chart, or graph.

AMPs (Accessible Media Producers)Accessible media producers (AMPs) produce braille, audio, digital text, or large print formats of print instructional materials exclusively for use by blind or other persons with print disabilities. Accessible media producers are eligible to download files directly from the NIMAC as agents of authorized users.

ASCIIUnformatted text with each letter represented by a number conforming to a standard developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to define how computers write and read characters.

ANSI (American National Standards Institute)The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit organization (501(c)3) that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. The Institute's mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems and safeguarding their integrity.


http://www.ansi.org/ ANSI/NISO Z39.86

This standard defines the format and content of an electronic file set that comprises a digital talking book (DTB) and establishes a limited set of requirements for DTB playback devices. It uses established and new specifications to delineate the structure of DTBs whose content can range from XML text only, to text with corresponding spoken audio, to audio with little or no text. DTBs are designed to make print material accessible and navigable for blind or otherwise print-disabled persons. The ANSI/NISO Z39.86 standard is also known as "DAISY 3."http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/Z39-86-2002.html

APH (American Printing House for the Blind)American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is the world's largest non-profit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are visually impaired.http://www.aph.org/

ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association)The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is a non-profit membership organization of manufacturers, sellers, and providers of technology-based assistive devices and/or services.http://www.atia.org/

Attribute


http://www.atia.org/

http://www.aph.org/

http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/Z39-86-2002.html

http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/Z39-86-2002.html

http://www.ansi.org/

A value associated with an HTML, XHTML, or XML element, consisting of a name and an associated (textual) value.

Authorized EntityAuthorized entities are referred to in the Chafee Amendment of 1996 and are defined therein as—"‘authorized entity' means a non-profit organization or a governmental agency that has a primary mission to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities."

Authorized UserAn authorized user is an agent of a coordinating agency with access to the NIMAC database who may download NIMAS-conformant files in accordance with established agreements.

BANA (Braille Authority of North America)The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) promotes and facilitates the uses, teaching, and production of braille. http://www.brailleauthority.org/

Blind or Other Persons with Print DisabilitiesIDEA includes a definition of students who may be provided with accessible textbooks created with NIMAS files from the NIMAC. That definition used within the legislation is—"Blind or other persons with print disabilities," which means children served under IDEA and who may qualify in accordance with the act entitled "An Act to Provide Books for the Adult Blind," approved March 31, 1931 (2 U.S.C. 135a; 46 Stat. 1487) to


http://www.brailleauthority.org/

receive books and other publications produced in specialized formats." This means that eligible students must qualify under both IDEA and the 1931 Act, which is administered by the Library of Congress.

BRF (Digital Braille)A BRF file type, also known as a braille intermediate format file, uses Grade II Braille and can be used with common braille devices or braille printers.

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)CAST is a non-profit organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through the research and development of innovative, technology-based educational resources and strategies. The NIMAS Development and Technical Assistance centers are housed at CAST in Wakefield, MA.http://www.cast.org/

Chafee AmendmentA 1996 Copyright Law Amendment allowing “authorized entities to reproduce or distribute copies or phonorecords of previously published nondramatic literary works in specialized formats exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.”http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/factsheets/copyright.html

Coordinating AgenciesCoordinating agencies are those state and local educational agencies that have chosen to coordinate with the NIMAC by directing publishers to provide NIMAS-conformant files to the NIMAC.


http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/factsheets/copyright.html


http://www.cast.org/

Coordination AgreementAn agreement between the NIMAC and authorized representatives of educational agencies that have chosen to coordinate with the NIMAC. Authorized representatives must submit a signed coordination agreement to the Repository in order to name Authorized Users and to obtain NIMAS filesets.http://nimac.us/coordinagreemntfinal1130.doc

CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)A cascading style sheet (CSS) provides the capacity to separate the layout and style of a web page from the data or information that is its content. Styles such as fonts, font sizes, and margins can be specified in one place. The rendering agent of the web page(s) gathers style elements from this one master list, with identified styles cascading throughout the page(s) or site(s).

DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem)DAISY is often used to refer to a standard for producing accessible and navigable multimedia documents. In current practice, these documents are Digital Talking Books, digital text books, or a combination of synchronized audio and text books.

DAISY ConsortiumThe DAISY Consortium was formed for the purpose of establishing the International Standard for the production, exchange, and use of the next generation of Digital Talking Books (DTBs). The DAISY Consortium is made up of organizations throughout the world who serve persons who are blind or print disabled. The object of the DAISY Consortium is to improve access to


http://nimac.us/coordinagreemntfinal1130.doc

all kinds of information for blind and print-disabled people.http://www.daisy.org/

Digital TextSee e-text.

DocBook“DocBook provides a system for writing structured documents using SGML or XML. It is particularly well-suited to books and papers about computer hardware and software, though it is by no means limited to them. In short, DocBook is an easy-to-understand and widely used DTD. Dozens of organizations use DocBook for millions of pages of documentation, in various print and online formats, worldwide” (Norm Walsh).

DPI (Dots Per Inch)A standard measurement for the resolution of images. Images in NIMAS filesets should be 300 dpi.

DRM (Digital Rights Management)Digital Rights Management systems are authorizing technologies implemented by rights holders and/or publishers to limit the distribution and use of proprietary content. Examples of DRM systems are—encryption (securing content as a locked file requiring a hardware or software-based "key" for unlocking), watermarking (the imprinting of identifying information on digital files), fingerprinting (the association of specific user data with a particular file or collection of files). DRM systems can employ one or all of these approaches.

DTD (Document Type Definition)


http://www.daisy.org/

This is a formal definition of a discrete set of XML tags, usually targeted at a particular type of application. For example, the Document Type Definition for the Digital Talking Book would define tags for things one finds in a book, e.g., chapter, paragraph, footnote, jacket, etc.

DTB (Digital Talking Book)A Digital Talking Book is envisioned to be, in its fullest implementation, a group of digitally encoded files containing an audio portion recorded in human speech; the full text of the work in electronic form, marked with the tags of a descriptive mark-up language; and a linking file that synchronizes text and audio portions. In a digital talking book, a reader has random access to book sections via a table of contents. The digitization of books intended for persons with disabilities provides opportunities to increase the quality and availability of information to print-disabled persons.

DTBookDTBook is an XML element set (dtbook.dtd) that defines mark-up for the textual content of a DTB (Digital Talking Book).

Dublin CoreThe Dublin Core (dc:) is a set of metadata established by The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative in order to promote the adoption of interoperable metadata standards and vocabularies. The Dublin Core metadata provides a consistent and uniform means of describing resources in order to enable more intelligent information discovery systems. The 15 elements of the


Dublin Core metadata standard provide a simple element set for describing a wide range of resources. http://dublincore.org/

E-Book (Electronic Book)An electronic version of a book that can be retrieved by and read via a computer.

ElementAn element is any identifiable object within a document, for example, a character, word, image, paragraph, or spreadsheet cell. In XML, an element refers to a pair of tags and their content, or an "empty" tag—one that requires no closing tag or content.

E-Text (Electronic Text)A book, article, or other published material that can be retrieved by and read via a computer.

FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)Special education and related services provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge mandated by IDEA.

Grade II Braille/Contracted BrailleBraille characters are much larger than their printed equivalents, and the standard 11" x 11.5" (28 cm × 30 cm) page size used for braille has room for only 25 lines of 43 characters. To reduce space and to increase potential reading speed, virtually all braille books are transcribed in what is known as Grade II Braille or Contracted Braille, which uses a system of contractions to reduce space and potentially speed the process of reading.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)


http://dublincore.org/

HTML is the lingua franca for publishing hypertext on the World Wide Web. It is a non-proprietary format based on SGML, and can be created and processed by a wide range of tools from simple to complex. HTML uses tags such as "<h1>" and "</h1>" to structure text into headings, paragraphs, lists, links, etc.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)Recently reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act in 2004, IDEA is a federal law governing the rights of children with disabilities to receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in what is termed a least restrictive environment (LRE).http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html

IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum)The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), formerly known as OeBps, is a trade and standards organization dedicated to the development and promotion of electronic publishing.http://www.idpf.org/

IRCBVI (Instructional Resource Centers for the Blind and Visually Impaired)

Instructional Resource Centers for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IRCBVI) are nonprofit organizations or governmental agencies that have a primary mission to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities in local school districts or special school settings. Additional services are often provided. These centers and their


http://www.idpf.org/

http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html

http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html

respective representatives are considered authorized entities by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) for the production and delivery of alternate-format textbooks and instructional materials to students who are blind or have low vision.http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=58&TopicID=255&DocumentID=2964

JPG (also JPEG; Joint Photographic Experts Group)A graphics file format that allows users to compress images into smaller sizes for faster download. Compressed JPG files often have fewer details than non-compressed images and can look pixilated when enlarged.

LEA (Local Education Agency)A local educational agency (LEA) is a public board of education or other public entity legally authorized for either administrative control or direction of publicly funded schools, including school corporations and state-operated schools.

LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)A Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) refers to educational settings and means, in effect, that each identified child with special needs, to the maximum extent possible, shall be educated with children who are not disabled.

LUA (Limitation of Use Agreement)A legal agreement between authorized users and the NIMAC ensuring that NIMAS filesets will be converted for the exclusive purpose of producing accessible instructional materials for blind or other persons with


http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=58&TopicID=255&DocumentID=2964

http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=58&TopicID=255&DocumentID=2964

print disabilities in elementary and secondary schools, as defined in section 674(e)(3) of IDEA.www.nimac.us/LUAfinal1130.doc

MathML (Mathematical Mark-up Language)An XML-based language used to display mathematical content.

MetadataMetadata is information that refers to one or more other pieces of information that can exist as separate physical forms (data about data). Any description can be considered metadata. Examples include library catalog information, encoded text file headers, and driver's license data. In the information technology world the term is often used to indicate data which refers to digital resources available across a network.

MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension)MIMEs are standard format extensions used to support the attaching of non-text files to standard Internet mail messages. Non-text files include graphics, spreadsheets, formatted word-processor documents, and sound files. The MIME standard specifies the type of file being sent and the method that should be used to turn it back into its original form.

NASDSE (National Association of State Directors of Special Education)

The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) is a services-focused organization formed to help state agencies promote and support specially designed instruction and related services for children and youth with disabilities. NASDSE's activities


http://www.nimac.us/LUAfinal1130.doc

are intended to provide professional support to its members and others interested in special education and to promote the vision that all students can achieve high levels of learning.http://www.nasdse.org/

Nemeth Braille CodeA standard coding structure in Braille used to denote mathematical and scientific notation.

NFF (National File Format Technical Panel)A subgroup of the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum at CAST, the NFF Technical Panel was charged with providing the Secretary of Education with a set of technical specifications to facilitate the efficient delivery of accessible instructional materials, a timeline for the implementation of those proposed standards, and a process for assessing the success of standards implementation.

NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Access Center)

The National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) is a central national repository established at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) to store and to maintain NIMAS file sets. It features an automated system for allowing publishers to deposit NIMAS-conformant files within the repository. Files are checked to confirm that they are valid NIMAS-conformant files and then cataloged in a web-based database. Those who have been authorized for access have user identifications and passwords. These authorized users may search the NIMAC database and


http://www.nasdse.org/

directly download the file(s) they need to convert into accessible instructional materials for those students who are in elementary and secondary schools and have qualifying disabilities.http://www.nimac.us/

NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard)

NIMAS refers to a collection of consistent and valid XML-based source files created by K–12 curriculum publishers. From these well-structured source files, accessible, student-ready alternate-format versions of textbooks and core materials (e.g., braille, e-text, Digital Talking Book, etc.) can subsequently be created and distributed to qualified students with disabilities. NIMAS files are not student-ready versions. IDEA 2004, P.L. 108-446, establishes the NIMAS as a national standard and requires states and local districts to adopt the NIMAS for providing textbooks and instructional materials to students who are blind or print-disabled. http://nimas.cast.org/

NIMAS-Conformant FilesThe NIMAS outlines a set of consistent and valid XML-based source files created by K–12 curriculum publishers or other content producers. NIMAS-conformant source files can be used to create accessible specialized formats (e.g., braille, audio, digital, large-print, etc.) of print-based instructional materials. A complete NIMAS-conformant set of files includes XML content files, a package file, images, and a PDF file of the source content’s title page (or


http://nimas.cast.org/

http://www.nimac.us/

whichever page contains ISBN and copyright information).

NISOThe National Information Standards Organization (NISO), a United States committee organized in conjunction with the internationally known DAISY Consortium, is working on a specification for Digital Talking Books (DTBs). This will serve as the next generation of information technology for persons who are blind and print disabled. At the heart of this specification is an XML DTD that incorporates the elements of structure needed to provide access to information. The specification defines how textual information can be synchronized with digitally recorded human speech through Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL), a recommendation of the W3C. The specification identifies six classes of books that have varying amounts of text mixed with audio. Most significantly, one class of book contains only text with no recorded human speech. Access to such information would be through synthetic speech, refreshable braille, or dynamically generated large print. http://www.niso.org/

NNC (NIMAS/NIMAC Coordinator)A primary contact for NIMAS/NIMAC-related queries and information dissemination. Each state or territory has or will designate one NNC to coordinate these activities within that state or territory.

OCR (Optical Character Reader)


http://www.niso.org/

Optical character readers are devices that can optically analyze a printed text, recognize its letters or other characters, and store this information as a computer text file. OCRs are usually limited to recognizing the styles and sizes of type for which they are programmed.

OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs)The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is maintained by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) of the U.S. Department of Education. OSEP provides leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts in improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities (ages birth through 21). OSEP also administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

OSERS (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services)

An office within the U.S. Department of Education, OSERS supports programs that help educate children and youth with disabilities, provides for the rehabilitation of youth and adults with disabilities, and supports research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html

Package FileA package file describes a publication. It identifies all other files in the publication and provides descriptive and access information about them. A NIMAS-


http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

conformant file set must include a conforming package file using the file extension OPF.

PDF (Portable Document Format)Portable Document Format. A universal computer file type used to exchange and view documents on any computer that has the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or free Foxit Reader software installed.http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)A graphics file format that allows users to compress images into smaller sizes for faster download without loss of detail.

Print Instructional MaterialsIDEA 2004 indicates that the term "print instructional materials" includes 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 SEA or LEA for use by students in a classroom.

Producer’s Note (<prodnote>)Information added to a DAISY Digital Talking Book or NIMAS fileset by the producing entity that is commonly used to provide descriptions of visual elements such as images, charts, graphs, etc.; supply operating instructions; or describe differences between a print book and its audio version. Traditionally, this has been called a transcriber’s note, a reader’s note, or an editor’s note. Multiple production notes may be used if different versions are needed for different media (i.e.,


http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

large print, Braille, or print). Some text-to-speech or audio players speak <prodnote> content rather than alternative text.

Related Print Core Materials(Definition is in review.)

SEA (State Education Agency)An SEA is an agency primarily responsible for the supervision of a state’s or territory’s public elementary and secondary schools.

SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language)A method for organizing and tagging elements within a document. SGML itself does not specify any particular formatting; rather, it specifies the rules for tagging elements. These tags can then be interpreted to format elements in different ways.

SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)The Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) is written as an XML application and is currently a W3C recommendation. Simply put, it enables authors to specify what content should be presented at what time. Authors can control the precise moment that a sentence is spoken and can ensure that the speech coincides with the display of an image appearing on-screen.

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)SVG is a language for describing two-dimensional graphics and graphical applications in XML, as developed under the W3C process. SVG is the preferred format for images included in NIMAS filesets.

Tactile Graphics


Tactile graphics are images designed to be touched rather than seen.

TagA descriptive mark-up component delimiting the start and end (including its generic identifier and any attributes) of an element.

TEI (Text Encoding Initiative)Initially launched in 1987, the TEI is an international and interdisciplinary standard that helps libraries, museums, publishers, and individual scholars represent all kinds of literary and linguistic texts for online research and teaching using an encoding scheme that is maximally expressive and minimally obsolescent. http://www.tei-c.org/

Textbook(Definition is in review.)

UDL (Universal Design for Learning)Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a theory of learning and teaching based on neuroanatomy and functional neuroimaging research techniques. UDL resists a one-size-fits-all approach to education and posits instead that teachers, educators, and instructional materials should effectively respond to individual differences inherent within a learning environment. Across learning goals, methods, materials, and assessments, Universal Design for Learning encourages offering—

Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,


http://www.tei-c.org/

Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, and

Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.

Using UDL principles in a classroom removes obstacles to curriculum access and provides students with alternative methods to demonstrate what they know. It acknowledges that there is more that one way to learn and respects individual learning style differences.http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)The W3C is an international consortium founded in 1994. Its mission is to promote the evolution and ensure the interoperability of the World Wide Web. Working with the global community, the Consortium produces specifications and reference software for free use around the world. The World Wide Web Consortium established the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) in 1997. Changing the Web's underlying protocols, applications and, most importantly, the way content is developed, can significantly improve access to the Web by people with disabilities. The WAI has working groups developing comprehensive and unified sets of accessibility guidelines for content accessibility, browser accessibility, and authoring tool accessibility. http://www.w3.org/

WikiA particular type of web site that allows collaborative authoring and editing of the content of that web site.


http://www.w3.org/

http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html

XML (EXtensible Markup Language)XML is a universal format for structured documents and data on the Web. It is a set of rules, guidelines, and conventions for designing text formats for data in a way that produces files that are easy to generate and read (by a computer), that are unambiguous, and that avoid common pitfalls such as lack of extensibility, lack of support for internationalization/localization, and platform-dependency. Like HTML, XML makes use of tags (terms bracketed by "<" and ">") and attributes (of the form name="value"), but while HTML specifies what each tag and attribute means (and often how the content between them will look in a browser), XML uses tags only to delimit pieces of data and leaves the interpretation of the data completely to the application that reads it. The separation of content and its presentation is a primary advantage of XML.


NIMAS Web Site Updates

The NIMAS Technical Assistance and Development centers at CAST provide periodic updates to the NIMAS web site with the intention of providing current and useful information to NIMAS state coordinators, SEA and LEA personnel, publishers, conversion houses, and others who have an interest in the implementation of NIMAS and NIMAC.

Home Pagehttp://nimas.cast.org/Reorganized to highlight the Recent Site Updates block, the home page features the new NIMAS Interest Group listserv sign-up link and displays a new Visitor Locations feature to indicate worldwide interest in NIMAS. A long description page is also provided via a "d" link so that visual information is described for those using screen readers. Information provided in the highlights sidebar is periodically updated as well.

Visitor Location Pagehttp://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://nimas.cast.orgThe ClustrMaps link on the NIMAS home page is a visualization indicating the location across the globe of visitors to the NIMAS home page. Clicking on a continent within the world view from the ClustrMap site provides additional details for each geographic area. A detailed long description, updated weekly, is available from


http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://nimas.cast.org

http://www2.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://nimas.cast.org


http://nimas.cast.org/_image_descriptions/home/clustrmap.html.

NIMAS Development Committee Pagehttp://nimas.cast.org/center/committee/index.htmlInformation regarding the Winter 2007 Development Committee Meeting is made publicly available on this page and an agenda has been posted. Detailed minutes for the September 2006 meeting and an issues document can also be found here.

Creating NIMAS Fileshttp://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/creating_nimas.htmlSpecific information about NIMAS 1.1 required attributes was added to this page. Updates have also been provided to the file validation section highlighting the NIMAC client validator that should be used by publishers and their contractors to test files prior to submission to the NIMAC. Guidance regarding MIME types is now provided.

The NIMAS/NIMAC FAQhttp://nimas.cast.org/about/faq/index.htmlInformation about who is responsible for providing materials to high school students with print disabilities taking courses in community colleges has been added to this page. The definition of Accessible Media Producer (AMP) was added to the terms section. Some sentences were removed from the site which read, "Coordinating agencies will agree to a NIMAC use statement for NIMAS-conformant files that restricts the files' use for qualified students. This will be further


http://nimas.cast.org/about/faq/index.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/creating_nimas.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/creating_nimas.html

http://nimas.cast.org/center/committee/index.html

http://nimas.cast.org/_image_descriptions/home/clustrmap.html

http://nimas.cast.org/_image_descriptions/home/clustrmap.html

addressed when the part B regulations are final." and "Coordinating agencies will agree to a NIMAC use statement for NIMAS-conformant files that restricts the files' use for qualified students. This will be further addressed when the part B regulations are final."


Who Qualifies?http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/who_qualifies.htmlThis page has been added to provide a bit more detail about which students qualify than is currently provided in the FAQ. The full title of the piece is "Who Qualifies for Specialized-Format Instructional Materials Created from NIMAS Source Files?"

NIMAS Exemplarshttp://nimas.cast.org/center/exemplars/index.htmlThe NIMAS Exemplars page has been periodically updated and new exemplars have been added. All of the exemplars were updated on 12/16/06. At this time, nine (9) NIMAS file set exemplars are available.

Math Resourceshttp://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/math_resources.htmlThis page has been added to provide links to sites that offer information about accessible math.

OPF Legacy Fileshttp://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/nimas_1.1_opf.htmlNIMAS OPF files were updated when the NIMAC released details regarding required metadata and when the standard was updated from 1.0 to 1.1. This page was created to provide a zip file of older versions for comparison purposes.

NIMAC Metadata Elementshttp://www.nimac.us/metadata.html


http://www.nimac.us/metadata.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/nimas_1.1_opf.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/nimas_1.1_opf.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/math_resources.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/math_resources.html

http://nimas.cast.org/center/exemplars/index.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/who_qualifies.html

http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/who_qualifies.html

A link is provided on the NIMAS Resource page to the new NIMAC Metadata Elements page on the NIMAC web site.

NIMAC Coordination Agreementhttp://nimac.us/coordinagreemntfinal1130.docA link is provided on the NIMAS Resource page to the new NIMAC Coordination Agreement.

NIMAC Limitation of Use Agreementhttp://nimac.us/LUAfinal1130.docA link is provided on the NIMAS Resource page to the new NIMAC Limitation-of-Use Agreement.

NIMAC Training for SEAshttp://nimac.us/registering_ngjm111306.pptA link is provided on the NIMAS Resource page to the PowerPoint used for training regarding coordination with NIMAC and designating authorized users.

NIMAC AMP FAQhttp://nimac.us/amps.htmlA link is provided on the NIMAS Resource page to the new Q&A pertaining to Accessible Media Producers (AMPs).

State Coordination Registration Processhttp://nimac.us/STATECoordinatorProcessFinal.docA link is provided on the NIMAS Resource page to the new instructions for registration.

Authorized User Registration Processhttp://nimac.us/AuthorizedUserProcessfinal.docA link is provided on the NIMAS Resource page to the new instruction for AU registration. Frequently Asked Questions about NIMAS & NIMAC

What do the acronyms "NIMAS" and “NIMAC” mean?


http://nimac.us/AuthorizedUserProcessfinal.doc

http://nimac.us/STATECoordinatorProcessFinal.doc

http://nimac.us/amps.html

http://nimac.us/registering_ngjm111306.ppt

http://nimac.us/LUAfinal1130.doc

http://nimac.us/coordinagreemntfinal1130.doc

NIMAS is the acronym for the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard. NIMAC is the acronym for the National Instructional Materials Access Center. What are coordinating agencies and other frequently

Coordinating agencies are those state and local educational agencies that have chosen to coordinate with the NIMAC by directing publishers to provide NIMAS files to the NIMAC.

In this document, an authorized user is an agent of a coordinating agency with access to the NIMAC database and may download NIMAS files in accordance with established agreements.

Authorized entities are referred to in the Chafee Amendment of 1996 and are defined therein as: “‘authorized entity' means a nonprofit organization or a governmental agency that has a primary mission to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities” (http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/factsheets/copyright.html).

Accessible media producers (AMPs) produce braille, audio, digital text, or large print formats exclusively for use by blind or other persons with print disabilities. Accessible media producers are eligible to download files directly from the NIMAC as agents of authorized users.




What are the NIMAS and NIMAC highlights within IDEA-2004?

State Education Agencies (SEAs) must adopt the NIMAS (by 12/3/06). SEAs will collaborate with state agencies responsible for AT programs. The National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) is established. The NIMAC will establish procedures for downloading publisher-provided files by agencies authorized to develop specialized formats. State and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will opt in or out of the NIMAC. SEAs and LEAs that opt in will require that publishers submit NIMAS-conforming file sets to the NIMAC. SEAs and LEAs that opt out will be responsible for ensuring that blind and other persons with disabilities receive specialized versions of print materials in a timely manner. Copyright protections are provided to publishers when submitting electronic files to the NIMAC and when a publisher may lack electronic rights but possess print rights. Large print has been added to the list of qualifying student-ready versions covered under the Chafee copyright exemption for the development and delivery of accessible instructional materials to students with print disabilities. The other versions are braille, audio, and digital formats.


What are NIMAS-conformant files?The NIMAS outlines a set of consistent and valid XML-based source files created by K–12 curriculum publishers or other content producers. These well-structured source files can be used to create accessible specialized formats (i.e., braille, audio, digital, large-print, etc.) of print instructional materials. The full set of files includes XML content files, a package file, images, and a PDF file of the title page (or whichever page contains ISBN and copyright information).

Will schools, classrooms, and students use NIMAS-conformant source files directly?That outcome is not intended. In the majority of circumstances, NIMAS-conformant source files will not be distributed at the classroom, school, or even district level, since these files require additional enhancements to make them appropriate for student use. Most SEAs and LEAs will need to designate an authorized user.

Why are the NIMAS and the NIMAC necessary?Having consistent and high-quality source files available from a central repository will improve the quality and timely delivery of these materials to qualified students.

What curriculum materials are covered by the NIMAS?IDEA-2004 indicates that the term “print instructional


materials” includes 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 SEA or LEA for use by students in the classroom.

NIMAC carries out its responsibilities for those instructional materials that are made available by publishers for use in elementary and secondary classrooms after the date the NIMAS technical specification is posted to the Federal Register. Some publishers may, however, voluntarily include earlier editions.

What will happen if a publisher does not hold the electronic rights for all of the content contained in instructional materials?

As long as a publisher possesses print rights, the material is needed by an SEA or LEA, and the files will be used to produce braille, large-print, audio, or digital text for blind or other persons with print disabilities, the publishers are given an exemption to copyright law to facilitate the transfer of NIMAS-conformant files directly to the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC). This copyright protection applies only to the files provided to the NIMAC and not, for example, to files that may be provided directly to SEAs and LEAs.

Why does the Association of American Publishers support NIMAS?

When NIMAS file sets are provided to the NIMAC by publishers and then used for the preparation of


accessible student-ready versions, the need to create multiple digital formats of each textbook and deliver them to various agencies will be significantly reduced. Publishers will produce each text in a single file format and deliver it to one location—the NIMAC—for distribution to authorized entities and for further enhancement by authorized users.

Who is required to adopt the NIMAS?SEAs are required to adopt the NIMAS. Although the term “adopt” is not defined by the statute, it is generally understood to mean that these agencies will commit to improving the systems most likely to ensure that students with print disabilities will receive the accessible specialized formats they need in a timely manner. The specification is but one part of a system.The NIMAC—Central Repository for NIMAS File Sets

What is the NIMAC and what will it do?The NIMAC is a central national repository established at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) that will contain NIMAS file sets. It will feature an automated system for allowing publishers to deposit NIMAS files within the repository. The files will be checked to confirm that they are valid NIMAS files, and the files will be cataloged in a web-based database. Those who have been authorized for access will have user identifications and passwords. These authorized users will be able to search the NIMAC database and download directly the file(s) they need to convert to accessible instructional


materials for those students who are in elementary and secondary schools and have qualifying disabilities.

What does it mean for an SEA or LEA to opt out of the NIMAC?SEAs and LEAs are not required to coordinate with the NIMAC. If they choose to opt out, state or local education agencies will be required to provide assurances that students with print disabilities will receive high-quality accessible materials in a timely manner.

What are the advantages of opting in to the NIMAC?It is recommended that all SEAs and LEAs opt into the NIMAC in order facilitate the development of a production and delivery infrastructure that is cost effective, efficient, and appropriate to the needs of students with print disabilities throughout the United States.

In many cases, a state’s current practices will not be changed. One small difference is that LEAs that contract for the purchase of core curriculum materials will require that publishers submit those same materials to the NIMAC as a NIMAS-conformant file set. Textbook adoption states would impose the same requirement on publishers when such materials are accepted or purchased under an adoption contract.

Coordinating with the NIMAC will—


provide instructional materials options beyond those currently available: a larger selection of options to choose from and a wide range of alternate formats; maximize the availability and effectiveness of student-ready versions created by authorized entities; support copyright indemnification for publishers, SEAs, and LEAs; provide economies of scale; result in higher quality content (since source files will be provided by publishers); eliminate duplication of efforts by providing access to a centralized database; facilitate the development of a national database of student-ready accessible versions created by authorized entities; and provide these benefits without interrupting existing systems that already serve students (the statute does not indicate that opting in is an exclusive choice that would change current best practices for a limited number of large adoption states. Over time, these systems are likely to merge in ways that improve the production and delivery of accessible materials).Why would any state or local education agency choose not to opt in?

An SEA or LEA might not understand how submissions to the NIMAC will benefit students with print disabilities throughout the United States. Some may fear that they will put themselves at risk in some way that they don’t yet understand or may feel that the NIMAS will confuse or complicate existing practices. A few states have


existing accessible materials legislation. These states are not prevented from implementing existing practices unless they would interfere with the timely delivery of accessible materials to students with print disabilities (part B, sec. 612(a)(23)(A) and (B)). The NIMAS Development Committee urges all SEAs and LEAs to opt in to the NIMAC.

How will SEAs and LEAs work with the NIMAC?To coordinate with the national repository, SEAs and/or LEAs will—

officially choose to act as a coordinating agency with the NIMAC; include language in contracts with publishers directing them to send NIMAS files of elementary and secondary school textbooks and related core print instructional materials to the NIMAC; identify authorized users who may obtain files directly from the NIMAC; arrange to have files converted to accessible textbooks by using their own resources or contracting with others; and be encouraged to share information about the availability of textbooks in accessible format through APH’s LOUIS Database of Accessible Materials for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired (http://www.aph.org/louis/index.html), in order to avoid duplication of effort.


We encourage SEAs to serve as a conduit between the LEAs and the NIMAC.SEA and LEA RequirementsWhat will be required of state and local education agencies?In addition to ensuring that all print-disabled students receive appropriate accessible versions of core curriculum materials in a timely manner, SEAs and LEAs will play an important role in obligating publishers to submit essential source materials to the NIMAC. This will be accomplished by contract or by including appropriate language in purchase orders that require publishers to submit NIMAS-conformant files to the NIMAC, or provide assurances that they have already done so, for a specific title and version that is to be purchased. A sample statement that could be included in a contract or purchase order follows:

Sample Language for Adoption Contracts and LEA Purchase OrdersBy 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.

Are there other options available to SEAs and LEAs?In keeping with existing practice, some state and local education agencies may meet NIMAS-related requirements contained in IDEA-2004 by contracting with curriculum publishers directly to purchase accessible, student-ready versions. Some have referred to this approach as the “market model” and expect that at some point accessible instructional materials will be ordered directly from publishers at the same time as print textbooks are ordered.

How do textbook adoption states that have agreed to coordinate with theNIMAC and have 5- or 6-year textbook adoption cycle contracts comply with the IDEA's requirement that they have contracts in place with publishers by December 3, 2006?


http://nimac.us/


We understand that States that adopt textbooks on a cyclical basis will have a series of multi-year contracts covering particular subjects or grades expiring over a period of years. These States could comply with the requirements of section 612(a)(23)(C) by adding the contract provisions required by 612(a)(23)(C) to each contract in their adoption cycle as a particular contract ends and a new contract is negotiated. However, since States, as a part of their responsibility to ensure the availability of a free appropriate public education to all eligible children need to ensure that blind persons or other persons with print disabilities have timely access to appropriate and accessible instructional materials, and the NIMAS and the service available from the NIMAC can be important tools in meeting this responsibility, States may want to take other steps to renegotiate non-expiring adoption contracts to include production of NIMAS file sets, or make other informal arrangements with publishers for production of NIMAS file sets for the materials covered by contracts that are still in effect.

If a school contracts with a Community College for advanced placement classes, is the LEA or community college responsible for a student who is eligible for NIMAS materials?AP classes are classes provided for secondary school credit. They also may allow students to earn postsecondary credit (but generally only after they


receive a sufficiently high score on a national, standardized test in that subject). NIMAS is only a standard for preparation of text files — it does not assign responsibility to provide accessible instructional materials to any entity. Under 612(a)(23) and 613(a)(6) [300.172 and 300.210] the SEA and LEA have the responsibility to provide print instructional materials to blind and other print disabled persons in a timely manner. This responsibility would extend to all courses that the SEA and LEA offer for elementary school or secondary school credit, even if they are provided by another entity through a contract or other arrangement with the SEA or LEA. Of course, the SEA or LEA could, as a part of its contract with the other entity, require that entity to make brailled versions of the materials available to the students who need them.

Schedule for ImplementationWhat is the timeline for the NIMAS and the NIMAC?

Once the NIMAS is published in the Federal Register, each SEA will adopt NIMAS no later than December 3, 2006. On December 3, 2005, the NIMAC was established and began a one year planning phase. The publication of the NIMAS in the Federal Register is the beginning “publication date” by which print instruction materials need to be provided to the NIMAC when required by SEAs and/or LEAs. As of that date, NIMAC’s responsibility pertains to all editions of print


instructional materials currently made available for sale by the publisher. On or before December 3, 2006 SEAs and LEAs that opt in to the NIMAC will require that publishers prepare and deliver NIMAS-conformant file sets to the NIMAC. On or before December 3, 2006 the NIMAC will be fully operational. Provision of Accessible Instructional Materials to

StudentsWhat disabilities qualify a student to be served with NIMAS-derived accessible textbooks?

IDEA 2004 includes a definition of students who may be provided with accessible textbooks created with NIMAS files from the NIMAC. That definition, used within the legislation, is “blind or other persons with print disabilities.” “Blind or other persons with print disabilities” means children served under IDEA who may qualify in accordance with the act entitled, “An Act to provide books for the adult blind,” approved March 31, 1931 (2 U.S.C. 135a; 46 Stat. 1487) to receive books and other publications produced in specialized formats [674(e)(3)(A)].

Who will create accessible "student-ready" versions of textbooks from NIMAS-conformant files?

Under contract with coordinating agencies, accessible, student-ready versions of textbooks will be created from NIMAS-conformant files by— National third-party authorized entities such as Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, American Printing


House for the Blind, Bookshare.org, and Talking Tapes, etc.; Regional or state conversion organizations such as Texas Region IV ESC Braille Services, the California Department of Education Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology (CSMT), the Kentucky Accessible Materials Consortium, and other state instructional materials resource centers, etc.; Software developers and file conversion services; Curriculum publishers; K–12 curriculum publishers may produce accessible alternate-format versions for direct sale to SEAs and LEAs. (This workflow is referred to as the “market model”); and Accessible media producers such as braille transcribers.

How will students receive accessible materials?The delivery systems that already exist will remain available. It is hoped that improved production systems will make a more timely delivery of appropriate materials possible.

Will other delivery systems evolve?It seems likely that educational publishers will enter the market for the delivery of accessible digital instructional materials in order to serve students who may not be adequately served under the Chafee Amendment. This is currently referred to as the “market model” and exploration of its benefits is one of the goals of the NIMAS Development Center.Additional Information


Where can I obtain more information?The NIMAS Technical Assistance Center works with key stakeholders such as states, school boards, and publishers to raise awareness of the benefits of accessible materials and advises stakeholders on the efficient production and distribution of NIMAS-compliant materials.

The NIMAS Development Center will improve the original NIMAS standard by identifying new research and technological advances relevant to the standard. The Center will also explore existing and new distribution models for the provision of accessible materials to students with disabilities.

The NIMAC will receive and catalog publishers' electronic files of print instructional materials in a standard format: the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). The NIMAS was recently developed by experts across the country for this specific purpose. The center will provide these standardized files to authorized textbook provider, who will then produce textbooks for blind and other students with disabilities. The combination of a standard format and a central repository should significantly expedite the time frame in which textbooks are delivered to students who need them in the classroom.


CAST NIMAS Centershttp://nimas.cast.org


Part B Section 612(a)(23) Part D Section 674(e)Section 613(a)(6) Title III Section 306


NIMAC at APH http://www.nimac.us

http://www.nimac.us/

NIMAS & NIMAC ListservsThe NIMAS Technical Assistance and Development Centers at CAST currently maintain the following listservs.

NIMAS Development Committee ListMay 2005 launch

This list is intended to facilitate communications between the NIMAS Centers and members of the NIMAS Development Committee. Topics typically include arrangements for meetings, technical issues regarding the NIMAS specification, implementation of the specification, synchronization with DAISY, general communications regarding the IDEA statute and regulations, and more.

The list is also used for communications between and among members. List membership is by invitation only.

NIMAS State Contacts ListSeptember 2006 launch

This list is intended to facilitate communications between the NIMAS Centers, the NIMAC and individuals who have been named as primary state contacts with regard to NIMAS and NIMAC. The list is used to communicate about training opportunities, IDEA NIMAS and NIMAC related regulations, SEA and LEA implementation issues, technical assistance opportunities, meeting invitations, clarification of roles and responsibilities, and more.

The list is also used for communications between and among members. List membership is by invitation only


and it is typical for SEAs to have more than one primary contact on the list.

NIMAS General Interest ListNovember 2006 launch

This list is intended to facilitate communications between the NIMAS Centers, the NIMAC and anyone who may have an interest in NIMAS and NIMAC. The list is new and not very active yet.

List membership is open anyone who is interested. A link to the signup page is available from the NIMAS home page or by going directly to http://lists.cast.org/mailman/listinfo/nimas.ig.

NIMAS Publishers ListJanuary 2007 launch planned

This list is intended to facilitate communications between the NIMAS Centers, NIMAC and K-12 Educational Publishers.

The list is also used for communications between and among members. List membership is by invitation only.

ommittee ListJuly 2006 Launch, kindness of G. Kerscher

The NIMAC hosts a listserv to support communications among members of the NIMAC Advisory Committee.


http://lists.cast.org/mailman/listinfo/nimas.ig

IDEA RegulationsNATIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALSACCESSIBILITY STANDARD (NIMAS)

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was signed into law on Dec. 3, 2004, by President George W. Bush. The provisions of the Act became effective on July 1, 2005, with the exception of some of the elements pertaining to the definition of a “highly qualified teacher” that took effect upon the signing of the Act. The final NIMAS was published on July 19, 2006 (71 FR 41084) and was included as Appendix C to Part 300--National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard--published on August 14, 2006. This is one in a series of documents, prepared by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the U.S. Department of Education that covers a variety of high-interest topics and brings together the regulatory requirements related to those topics to support constituents in preparing to implement the new regulations.1 This document 1 Topics in this series include: Alignment With the No Child Left Behind Act; Changes in Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation; Children Enrolled by Their Parents in Private Schools; Discipline; Disproportionality and Overidentification; Early Intervening Services; Highly Qualified Teachers; Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities; Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team Meetings and Changes to the IEP; Individualized Education Program (IEP); Local Funding; National 2007 Texas Focus –Siller 45

addresses statutory and final regulatory requirements regarding NIMAS. IDEA Regulations

1. Provides definitions related to purchase of and access to instructional materials.

These definitions apply to each State and local educational agency (LEA), whether or not the State or LEA chooses to coordinate with the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC).

[34 CFR 300.172(e)(2)] [20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(23)(E), 1474(e)(3)(A)]

"NIMAS" has the meaning given that term in section 674(e)(3)(B) of the Act (NIMAS means the standard established by the Secretary to be used in the

Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS); Part C Amendments in IDEA 2004; Part C Option: Age 3 to Kindergarten Age; Procedural Safeguards: Surrogates, Notice and Consent; Procedural Safeguards: Mediation; Procedural Safeguards: Resolution Meetings and Due Process Hearings; Secondary Transition; State Complaint Procedures; State Funding; and Statewide and Districtwide Assessments. Documents are available on the IDEA website at: http://IDEA.ed.gov.2007 Texas Focus –Siller 46

preparation of electronic files suitable and used solely for efficient conversion into specialized formats).

[34 CFR 300.172(a)(1)(iii)] [20 U.S.C. 1474(e)(3)(B)]

“Specialized formats” has the meaning given that term in section 674(e)(3)(D) of the Act (“Specialized formats” means Braille, audio, or digital text which is exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities; and with respect to print instructional materials, includes large print formats when such materials are distributed exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities).

[34 CFR 300.172(e)(1)(iv)] [20 U.S.C. 1474(e)(3)(D); 17 U.S.C. 121(d)(3)]

“NIMAC” means the center established in section 674(e) of the Act, through the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), not later than one year after the date of enactment of IDEA. NIMAC’s duties are: To receive and maintain a catalog of print

instructional materials prepared in the NIMAS, as established by the Secretary, made available to such center by the textbook publishing industry, State educational agencies (SEAs), and LEAs.

To provide access to print instructional materials, including textbooks, in accessible media, free of charge, to blind or other persons with print disabilities in elementary


schools and secondary schools, in accordance with such terms and procedures as the NIMAC may prescribe.

To develop, adopt and publish procedures to protect against copyright infringement, with respect to the print instructional materials provided in sections 612(a)(23) and 613(a)(6) of the Act.

[34 CFR 300.172(e)(1)(ii)] [20 U.S.C. 1474(e)(2)(A), (B), (C)]

The statute defines “print instructional materials” to be 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 SEA or LEA for use by students in the classroom.

[20 U.S.C. 1474(e)(3)(C)]

“Blind persons or other persons with print disabilities”1 means children served under Part 300

1 The Library of Congress regulations (36 CFR 701.6(b)(1)) related to the Act to Provide Books for the Adult Blind (approved March 3, 1931, 2 U.S.C. 135a) provide that “blind persons or other persons with print disabilities” include: (i) Blind persons whose visual acuity, as determined by competent authority, is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting glasses, or whose widest diameter if visual field subtends an 2007 Texas Focus –Siller 48

who may qualify to receive books and other publications produced in specialized formats in accordance with the Act entitled “An Act to Provide Books for the Adult Blind,” approved March 3, 1931, 2 U.S.C. 135a.

[34 CFR 300.172(e)(1)(i)] [20 U.S.C. 1474(e)(3)(A)]

angular distance no greater than 20 degrees. (ii) Persons whose visual disability, with correction and regardless of optical measurement, is certified by competent authority as preventing the reading of standard printed material. (iii) Persons certified by competent authority as unable to read or unable to use standard printed material as a result of physical limitations. (iv) Persons certified by competent authority as having a reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading printed material in a normal manner. Competent authority is defined in 36 CFR 701.6(b)(2) as follows: (i) In cases of blindness, visual disability, or physical limitations “competent authority” is defined to include doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, ophthalmologists, optometrists, registered nurses, therapists, professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or welfare agencies (e.g., social workers, case workers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and superintendents). (ii) In the case of a reading disability from organic dysfunction, competent authority is defined as doctors of medicine who may consult with colleagues in associated disciplines.2007 Texas Focus –Siller 49

2. Requires the adoption of NIMAS.

States must: Adopt the NIMAS, published as appendix C to Part

300, for the purposes of providing instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities, in a timely manner after publication of the NIMAS in the Federal Register on July 19, 2006 (71 FR 41084); and

Establish a State definition of “timely manner” for purposes of 34 CFR 300.172 (b)(2) and (b)(3) if the State is not coordinating with the NIMAC or 34 CFR 300.172 (b)(3) and (c)(2) if the State is coordinating with the NIMAC.

[34 CFR 300.172(a)] [20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(23)(A)]

3. Establishes SEA rights and responsibilities.

Nothing in 34 CFR 300.172 shall be construed to require any SEA to coordinate with the NIMAC. If an SEA chooses not to coordinate with the NIMAC, the SEA must provide an assurance to the Secretary that it will provide instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner.


Nothing in this section relieves an SEA of its responsibility to ensure that children with disabilities who need instructional materials in accessible formats, but are not included under the definition of blind or other persons with print disabilities in 34 CFR 300.172(e)(1)(i) or who need materials that cannot be produced from NIMAS files, receive those instructional materials in a timely manner.

In order to meet its responsibility under paragraphs 34 CFR 300.172 (b)(2), (b)(3), and (c) to ensure that children with disabilities who need instructional materials in accessible formats are provided those materials in a timely manner, the SEA must ensure that all public agencies take all reasonable steps to provide instructional materials in accessible formats to children with disabilities who need those instructional materials at the same time as other children receive instructional materials.

[34 CFR 300.172(b)] [20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(23)(B)]

4. Establishes requirements for the preparation and delivery of files.


If an SEA chooses to coordinate with the NIMAC, as of December 3, 2006, the SEA must:

As part of any print instructional materials adoption process, procurement contract, or other practice or instrument used for purchase of print instructional materials, enter into a written contract with the publisher of the print instructional materials to:o Require the publisher to prepare and, on or

before delivery of the print instructional materials, provide to NIMAC electronic files containing the contents of the print instructional materials using the NIMAS; or

o Purchase instructional materials from the publisher that are produced in, or may be rendered in, specialized formats.

Provide instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner.

[34 CFR 300.172(c)] [20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(23)(C)]

5. Requires collaboration with State agencies providing assistive technology programs.

In carrying out this section, the SEA, to the maximum extent possible, must work collaboratively with the


State agency responsible for assistive technology programs.

[34 CFR 300.172(d)] [20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(23)(D)]

6. Establishes responsibilities of LEAs for purchase of instructional materials.

Not later than December 3, 2006, an LEA that chooses to coordinate with the NIMAC, when purchasing print instructional materials, must acquire those instructional materials in the same manner, and subject to the same conditions as an SEA under 34 CFR 300.172.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to require an LEA to coordinate with the NIMAC.If an LEA chooses not to coordinate with the NIMAC, the LEA must provide an assurance to the SEA that the LEA will provide instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner.

Nothing in this section relieves an LEA of its responsibility to ensure that children with disabilities who need instructional materials in accessible formats but are not included under the definition of blind or other persons with print disabilities in 34 CFR 300.172(e)(1)(i) or who need materials that cannot be


produced from NIMAS files, receive those instructional materials in a timely manner.

[34 CFR 300.210] [20 U.S.C. 1413(a)(6)(E)]


National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard

Our Partners • U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) • The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) • The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Textbooks and Instructional Materials Solutions Forum • The NIMAC

References to NIMAS in IDEA 2004 • Section 612 (a) (23) • Section 613 (a) (6) • Section 674 (e) • Title III, Section 306 NIMAS at a Glance The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) is— • A way to address long-standing information-access barriers and enrich learning experiences for students with print disabilities • A method for publishers and accessible media producers to develop accessible materials quickly and accurately using a flexible digital format • A standard endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and included in IDEA 2004

Why is NIMAS needed?


Students with disabilities often do not have timely access to textbooks and other curricular materials. NIMAS will streamline the provision of accessible materials, creating equal opportunities for students’ participation and progress in the general curriculum.

How is implementation supported? • The NIMAS Technical Assistance Center advises key stakeholders on efficient production and distribution of NIMAS-conformant files and raises awareness of the need for accessible materials. • The NIMAS Development Center works to improve the existing Standard and to explore distribution models. Principal Investigator: David Rose Director: Chuck Hitchcock

CycleBegin Here 1. SEAs & LEAs Adoption & Open Territory - LEA purchase orders or SEA adoption contracts require K–12 publishers to submit NIMAS filesets to the NIMAC.

2. K– 12 Publishers - Prepare and submit NIMAS filesets to the NIMAC.

3. National Instructional Materials Access Center - Validates, catalogs & provides secure access to NIMAS filesets.


4. Authorized Users - Prepare and deliver specialized formats to LEAs for qualified students with print disabilities.

5. Students with Print Disabilities Obtain Specialized Formats

http://nimas.cast.org http://www.nimac.us

The NIMAS Development & Technical Assistance Centers Skip Stahl, Director, Development Center Chuck Hitchcock, Director,Technical Assistance Center c/o CAST 40 Harvard Mills Square, Suite 3 Wakefield, MA 01880-3233 Tel (781) 245-2212 TTY (781) 245-9320 Fax (781) 245-5212 Email [email protected]

CAST is a nonprofit organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through the research and development of innovative, technology-based educational resources and strategies.

The NIMAS Development and Technical Assistance Centers are supported by the U.S. Department of


Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the Department of Education’s position or policy.
