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One of the topics addressed by Individuals with Disabilities Education ActIDEA is the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), which is designed to streamline access to instructional materials for students who are blind or have other print disabilities.
Attached please find a fact sheet on National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS prepared by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). In addition, there is a National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS technical advice website which provides a detailed explanation of the National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS provision and its background. The website is National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials .
Every state is required to adopt the National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS. National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS outlines a set of consistent and valid specifications for document source files created by K-12 curriculum publishers or other content producers that can be used to create accessible specialized formats of print instructional materials. Curriculum materials covered by National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS include printed textbooks and printed core materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary and secondary school instruction and that are required by a state or school district for use by students in the classroom. Each state must provide an assurance to Office of Special Education ProgramsOSEP as part of the State's Part B application that students who need curriculum materials in alternate formats are provided with those formats in a timely manner to insure access to the general education curriculum.
In addition, the state may choose to "opt-in" or "opt-out" of the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC). National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC will create a national repository of National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS source files that can then be converted into formats that are accessible by students who are blind or have other print disabilities. Massachusetts has decided to "opt in" and has provided an assurance to Office of Special Education ProgramsOSEP regarding our participation in National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC. Even though Massachusetts does not order textbooks for districts, choosing to participate in National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC will help districts aquire student-ready versions in a more timely and cost-efficient manner. We will provide further information on this process in the fall of 2006-7.
Each district has the option of participating in National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC. Whether a district does or does not participate in National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC, the district will be responsible for ensuring that each child who requires instructional materials in an alternate format will receive it in a timely manner. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommends that districts choose to participate in National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC, because this national effort to centralize the distribution of instructional materials in alternate formats will help guarantee timely provision of such materials to students.
For districts that choose to participate in National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC, contracts with publishers executed on and after December 3, 2006 for textbooks and other printed core materials must include a provision that requires the publisher to produce National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS files and send them to the National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC (this will not add any cost to the contract). Curriculum publishers have been involved in discussions relating to National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS and are well aware of its requirements. Model contract language is included below:
"By agreeing to deliver the materials marked with "National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS" on this contract or purchase order, the publisher agrees to submit a valid National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS file set to the National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC at the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. (APH). 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 National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS file sets of the purchased products to the National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC. This is page ___ of ___ of this contract or purchase order."
In lieu of, or in addition to choosing to participate in National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC, each Local Education Agency (LEA) may contract with curriculum publishers directly to purchase accessible, student-ready versions. In most cases, however, you will find that publishers will not have such versions for sale.
As part of the FY2007 Grant Assurances Document provided by all districts, there is an additional certification dealing with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility StandardNIMAS provisions of Individuals with Disabilities Education ActIDEA in "SECTION I" at I-5, entitled National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC). Your district is required to review this assurance, check YES or NO to indicate if you will "opt-in" to the National Instructional Materials Access CenterNIMAC or provide materials in an alternate but timely manner, sign the assurance, and return it with your FY2007 grant application package.
For more information
Attachment: Individuals with Disabilities Education ActIDEA-Reauthorized Statute-National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)
Last Updated: May 16, 2006