1. Accessible Materials 101: NIMAS Overview for TVIs

2. NIMAS Overview  Legal Mandate  Definitions  How the NIMAS Works  How to Acquire Specialized Formats/Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)  Role of the IEP Team  Resources for TVI’s

3. IDEA 2004 Section 300.172 requires SEAs and LEAs to ensure that textbooks and related core instructional materials are provided to students with print disabilities in specialized formats in a timely manner. Accessible Instructional Materials The Legal Connection

4. Frequently Asked Questions What are core instructional materials? What does “timely manner” mean? What are specialized formats? What are the NIMAS and the NIMAC? Where can you get specialized formats? Which students need AIM? Who decides? How do we get help when we need it?

5. What are core instructional materials?  Printed textbooks and related printed core materials published with the texts… Written and published primarily for use in elementary and secondary school instruction Required by state education agency or local education agency for use by students in the classroom

6. Which Textbooks and Related Core Materials?  Printed textbooks and related printed core materials published with the texts “published after July 19, 2006”  OSEP has interpreted “published” to mean “available for purchase”  http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/policy_brief-2008-04 http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/policy_brief-2008-04

7. What defines “timely manner”?  Must be defined by states as mandated in Section 300.172 of the Final Regulations of IDEA 2004  New York: Section 200.2(i)(4): “…ensure that alternative format materials are available at the same time as regular format materials are available”

8. What are specialized formats?  Accessible Instructional Materials can be in specialized formats, BUT materials in specialized formats are not necessarily ACCESSIBLE to all students in all circumstances Materials created in Braille (including tactile graphics), Large print, Audio, and Digital text in order to provide users with access to the content conveyed in these formats

9. Why specialized formats?  To provide students who are unable to obtain information through the use of traditional print materials with accessible materials appropriate to their individual needs  To enable students to gain the information they need to complete tasks, master IEP goals, and reach curricular standards

10. What is the NIMAS?  N ational I nstructional M aterials A ccessibility S tandard (NIMAS) for XML Files that can be readily transformed into student-ready specialized formats.

11. What is the NIMAS? This is NIMAS XML

12. What is the NIMAS? DAISY book from NIMAS XML

13. What is the NIMAS? Braille ready file in NIMAS XML

14. What is the NIMAC?  The National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) is just one of many SOURCES of Accessible Instructional Materials

15. Where can you get Accessible Instructional Materials?  NIMAC  Accessible Media Producers  Commercial Sources  Free Sources  Do It Yourself

16. Sources of Accessible Instructional Materials  Accessible Media Producers (AMPs)

17. Sources of Accessible Instructional Materials  Commercial Sources http://alltogether.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/excellent-accessible-book-list-at-tlwmn-blog/

18. Sources of Accessible Instructional Materials  Make Your Own: http://alltogether.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/excellent-accessible-book-list-at-tlwmn-blog/

19. Sources of Accessible Instructional Materials  Other Sources http://alltogether.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/excellent-accessible-book-list-at-tlwmn-blog/

20. Who Decides which Students Need Accessible Instructional Materials?  IEP Teams have the responsibilities related to the selection, acquisition and use of Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM).

21. What are the responsibilities of the IEP Teams? 1. Establish need for AIM 2. Select specialized format(s) needed by the student for educational participation and achievement 3. Determine supports needed for effective use of specialized formats 4. Acquire needed formats in a timely manner

22. Key Questions  Does this STUDENT need instructional materials in specialized formats to access the curriculum and receive a free, appropriate, public education (FAPE)?  In which ENVIRONMENTS will specialized materials/accessible instructional materials (AIM) be used?  For which TASKS will the student require materials in which specialized format?  What SUPPORTS will the student and others need? Assessment? Formats? Teaching? Technology? Training? Accommodations? Modifications?

23. Establish Student Need  Review the student’s evaluation information and present levels of achievement to determine whether the student has a disability-related difficulty with tasks related to print-based core instructional materials used across the curriculum

24. Establish Student Need  Is the student able to use standard print materials for educational participation and achievement?  IF YES…YOU ARE DONE  IF NO… The team explores the cause of the difficulty.

25. Establish Student Need  Does the student have difficulty seeing the material? (Blindness or low vision)  Does the student have difficulty physically manipulating the material? (orthopedic impairment)  Does the student have the physical stamina necessary? (e.g. sitting upright, alertness) (other health impairments)

26. Establish Student Need  Does the student have difficulty decoding text/recognizing words?  Does the student have difficulty with fluency?  Do students lose their place while reading/tracking?  Does the student have difficulty with comprehension skills?

27. Establish Student Need  Is the student a proficient English language speaker?  Has the student received appropriate instruction in reading and math? Are reading problems specifically related to the use of regular print or due to the student’s understanding of the language or content or due to the lack of instruction?

28. Establish Student Need  Determine whether different formats might be needed for different environments, tasks, or situations  Include all environments in which taking meaning from print is required in order to receive FAPE: Core academic classes Community-based programs Home

29. Establish Student Need  Determine whether different formats might be needed for different environments, tasks, or situations  Include any task for which the student is required to gain meaning from print materials to participate and achieve: Gaining information from short text Gaining information from large bodies of text Producing text (handwriting, typing, brailling, etc.) Learning to use the format effectively (reading?)

30. Who qualifies for specialized formats?  Under the Copyright Act of 1931 as Amended, students with “print disabilities” are those who have been certified by a competent authority as unable to read printed materials because of: ▪ Blindness ▪ A visual impairment ▪ Physical limitations ▪ An organic dysfunction

31. Who qualifies for NIMAS formats?  Students who are eligible under the Copyright Act of 1931 as Amended are those who have been certified by a competent authority as unable to read printed materials because of: ▪ Blindness ▪ A visual impairment ▪ Physical limitations ▪ An organic dysfunction ▪ Students who qualify as a student with a disability under IDEA 2004

32. Who qualifies for NIMAS formats?  Not all students with reading difficulties meet the criteria for “print disabilities” under the Copyright Act of 1931 as Amended

33. Who qualifies for specialized formats?  The Final Regulations of IDEA 2004 require that state education agencies make provisions for providing accessible core instructional materials to students with disabilities (served under the Act) Who are not included under the definition of blind or other persons with print disabilities When the materials are not producible from NIMAS files In a timely manner… “at the same time as other children receive instructional materials” or however “timely manner” is defined by the state

36. If the student is NOT copyright exempt…  NIMAS files may NOT be accessed through the NIMAC  The Resource Center may provide guidance on how to acquire the needed specialized formats if the materials are: Available for purchase Available from other libraries that allow access to students with IEPs who are not copyright exempt NOTE: Producing accessible formats yourself does not relieve you of the responsibility to protect copyright.

37. Determining Supports for AIM  Assessment  Technology  Instruction  Training  Accommodations  Modifications

38. Braille If the student is blind or visually impaired, a certified teacher of the visually impaired must be involved in this decision Review the results of the student’s  functional vision evaluation,  learning media assessment, and  informal reading assessment to determine the most effective format(s) for the student in various reading and writing situations.  Input from an occupational therapist will be important if the student also has physical disabilities

39. Supports for Braille Braille instruction must be provided by a Certified Teacher of the Blind and Partially Sighted/TVI Technology needed by the student for reading and written output tasks – (report writing, note- taking, etc.)  Consider portability for using text in multiple environments

40. Large Print  Review the results of the student’s functional vision evaluation and learning media assessment, and informal reading assessment to determine the most effective format(s) for the student  Document specifics of large print required - Most effective and efficient print size – 18-20 points are typical. Some need larger. - Most effective font –APHont or san serif are clearer - Level of contrast between print and background - Environmental lighting – glare, level of light - Spacing between letters, words, graphic details

41. LARGE PRINT Supports Instruction in use of low tech and high tech supports: Magnifiers Video Magnifiers/CCTVs Place markers/typoscopes - Note: Assistive technology may be more flexible, effective and efficient than making the print extremely large on paper

42. Audio Listening Assessment Considerations: Level of understanding and comprehension when text is read aloud Length of time student can listen with understanding How student will “take notes” on longer listening assignments Instruction - How and by whom use of audio text will be taught Supports - The hardware and software that will be required to convert NIMAS files, and the technology needed to play audio files

43. Digital Text  Digital text can simultaneously provide audio, video, and, if needed, large print.  This combination: - Provides support for gaining meaning from text AND increasing reading skills - Allows flexibility – changes in size, rate, contrast, etc. as well as portability, depending upon the technology used - Requires supports: - Hardware and software are typically required - Instruction and ongoing technical support

44. New York’s AIM Goals  to develop data management and tracking systems for administering NIMAS files and delivering instructional materials in accessible formats  to develop and implement a plan for providing professional development designed to improve the capacity of LEAs  to improve communication between states regarding accessible instructional materials and NIMAS

45. RESOURCES for TVIs: How or where do we get HELP? The AIM Consortium NYS Resource Center Personnel:  Training – Judi Piscitello x427  APH Federal Quota Registration & LOUIS/NIMAS Availability Research – Lisa DeSantis x207  Textbook Depository for Braille and Large Print – Shirley Lapp x418

46. The AIM Consortium CAST, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming

47. Three Goals of the AIM Consortium 1.Facilitate the development of State systems for increasing the awareness and timely provision of accessible instructional materials via NIMAS/NIMAC for qualifying students and other means for non-qualifying students. 2.Ensure that State systems for the identification, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional materials employ high quality procedures and practices 3.Produce related products and services scalable and made available to all States, OAs, and FAS, thus contributing to improving outcomes for all students with print disabilities

48. “It is not enough to stare up the steps… We must step up the stairs” Vaclav Havel

49. AIM High!  Require accessible formats in instructional materials purchasing contracts.  Encourage developers of digital curricula to design accessibility features into their materials.  Ask publishers for student-ready accessible formats for purchase.  Ask for more than what is available… Ask often!

50. NYS AIM and NIMAS Resources Downloadable NIMAS and AIM resources on the NYSSB Outreach web site: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/nyssb/outreach.html http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/nyssb/outreach.html AIM web site: http://aimconsortium.cast.org/states/new_york http://aimconsortium.cast.org/states/new_york Contact Lisa DeSantis ldesanti@mail.nysed.gov or call (585) 343-5384 ext. 207 ldesanti@mail.nysed.gov Contact Judi Piscitello jpiscite@mail.nysed.gov or call (585) 343-5384 ext. 427 jpiscite@mail.nysed.gov