NIMAS in IDEA — Resources
The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) is an important new piece of the reauthorized IDEA. The final NIMAS was published in the Federal Register on July 19, 2006 and included as Appendix C to Part 300 of the IDEA regulations. A quick reference guide can also be found at
http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/tb-accessibility.pdf The timelines for adopting the NIMAS regulations are not later than December 3, 2006.
The standards developed through NIMAS will guide the ways in which textbooks and core instructional materials are delivered so they may be converted easily into accessible formats. The final federal regulations will provide the information that States will need to know about NIMAS to understand how to fill out the federal forms for the coming year and to plan with LEAs regarding the implementation of the standards. Each State will be asked to provide assurances about NIMAS and to opt in or out of the national repository, the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC).
NIMAS means the standard established by the secretary to be used in the preparation of electronic files suitable and used solely for efficient conversion into “specialized formats.” “Specialized formats” means Braille, audio, or digital text that is exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.
“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 education agency (SEA) or local education agency (LEA) for use by students in the classroom.
The NIMAS Development Center will improve the original 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. http://nimas.cast.org/
The NIMAS Technical Assistance Center will work with key stakeholders such as states, school boards, and publishers to raise awareness of the benefits of accessible materials. It will also advise stakeholders on the efficient production and distribution of NIMAS-compliant materials. http://nimas.cast.org/
NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Access Center) is a center established through the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky (http://www.aph.org/index.html) as a repository for electronic files and print instructional materials using NIMAS. The NIMAC will receive and catalog publishers' electronic files of print instructional materials in a standard format (NIMAS). The center will provide these standardized files to authorized textbook providers, who will then produce textbooks for blind and visually impaired students across the country. 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. http://www.aph.org/nimac/index.html
Another resource is the NCDAE (National Center for Disability Access to Education) which provided a conversation with national experts regarding the State and local issues regarding NIMAS and the use of the NIMAC in a Webcast format on February 28, 2006. Chuck Hitchcock the CAST's Chief Officer—Policy and Technology, with Jessica Brodey, attorney and a public policy advocate, and Cyndi Rowland, Director of the NCDAE, can be heard on the NCDAE website. Additional resources and a question/answer format are available for States’ preparation in meeting the new requirements. NIMAS in IDEA, What You Need To Know Now Webcast: http://www.ncdae.org/webcasts/
|
|
Last Updated ( Sunday, 24 September 2006 )
|
