APH as an Accessible Media Producer: A Status Report Julia Myers January 2010

NIMAS and APH First file assigned to APH on 4/2/ NIMAS file sets by January NIMAS Files have been distributed to APH Transcribers. NIMAS Files have been used to produce APH large print and braille textbooks.

APH Braille Transcribers Request electronic files to assist in transcription 65% use Braille % use Megadots 25% use Duxbury

APH Braille Transcribers Accept NIMAS files with or without images included. Are able to provide faster turnaround with NIMAS files, especially for smaller books.

NIMAS and APH Tactile Graphics JPEG and PNG images from NIMAS files are useful for production of some tactile graphics using APH existing production software.

APH, NIMAS, and Large Print Custom enlargement is a mechanical process of enlarging original print version. The APH Large Print process enhances design based on recommendations from B/VI research to increase usefulness to students. The APH Large Print process uses NIMAS files in pre-production.

ATIC Large Print Process and NIMAS Building on ongoing enhancements and changes to software and production processes, NIMAS has proven to be compatible with the APH large print pre-production process. SVG images not suitable for APH large print production. JPEG with a native resolution of 300 DPI preferred.

APH Large Print and NIMAS APH reports that the images found in the NIMAS file sets are the best they have ever had for large print production. The NIMAS XML has cut pre- production time by half or more.

Large Print by the Numbers In 2009, APH provided 15,543 large print books representing 4,328 titles to visually impaired students. 732 new large print titles were produced by APH in 2009 by specific request. An estimated 29,000 visually impaired elementary and secondary school students utilize large print, while about 5,411 utilize Braille as their primary reading medium, and 2,796 utilize it as a secondary medium.

Large Print Images in Print Images can be reproduced at higher resolution in print than in other media, such as via electronic display, without creating more work for the eye to perform. For students with visual acuity issues, the higher resolution and superior reproduction in print is an advantage, especially for charts, maps, and other graphical material.

For More Information: Production of Large Print, Braille, & Tactile Graphics Jane Thompson, ATIC Director American Printing House for the Blind 1839 Frankfort Ave. Louisville, KY

For More Information: NIMAC ( NIMAC)