Access to Instructional Materials NIMASNIMAC

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Access to Instructional MaterialsNIMAS/NIMAC

• Sponsored by Nebraska Department of Education,
  Office of Special Education
• September 23, 2009
• Videoconference Sites Omaha, Kearney, Columbus,
  and Ogallala

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Outcomes

• Increase knowledge of NIMAS/NIMAC
• Increase knowledge of what has been accomplished
  in Nebraska
• Increase knowledge of additional resources

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Why NIMAS/NIMAC???
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What is NIMAS?

• National Instructional Materials Accessibility
  Standard
• Became part of IDEA 2004 Law,
• included in Rule 51 2006 and 2008
• Requirements of all state departments of
  educations (SEA) to adopt the NIMAS standard and
  define timely manner
• Impacts local school districts (LEA)

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What is NIMAS?

• Outlines set of consistent/valid standards for
  source files created by curriculum publishers,
  these files can be used to create accessible
  specialized formats
• Specialized Formats Braille, audio, or digital
  text (IDEA, 300.172)

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What is NIMAS?

• Curriculum materials covered by NIMAS include
  printed textbooks and printed core materials that
  are written and published for use in
  elementary/secondary school instruction and
  required for use in the students classroom

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What are the regulations for NIMAS?

• Federal (IDEA 04)

• Purpose is to provide instructional materials to
  blind persons or other persons with print
  disabilities in a timely manner (300.172)

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Closing
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Terms Defined Blind and other Print
disabilities (36 CFR 701,6(b)(1)

• (iii) persons certified by competent authority
  as unable to read or reading of standard printed
  materials as a result of physical limitations
• (iv) persons certified by competent authority as
  having reading disability resulting from organic
  dysfunction and severity to prevent their reading
  printed materials in a normal manner.

• (i)include blind persons whose visual acuity is
  20/200 or less in the better eye with correction,
  or whose visual field is no greater than 20
  degrees
• (ii) persons whose visual disability, with
  correction regardless of optical measurement, is
  certified by competent authority as preventing
  the reading of standard printed materials

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Terms Defined Timely Manner

• 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.

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State Regulations (Rule 51)

• If district chooses to coordinate with NIMAC,
  require publisher to delivery of print
  instructional materials, provide to NIMAC,
  electronic files containing the contents using
  the NIMAS (standard)
• OR
• District purchase instructional materials from a
  publisher that are produced in or may be rendered
  in specialized formats (92, 51.004.15A1)

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State Regulations (Rule 51)

• Nothing in section shall be construed to require
  a school district to coordinate with NIMAC. If a
  district chooses NOT to coordinate with NIMAC,
  the school district shall provide an assurance to
  NDE that the school district will provide
  instructional materials to blind persons or other
  persons with print disabilities in a timely
  manner. (92, 51.004.15B)

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What is NIMAC?

• NIMAC-National Instructional Materials
  Accessibility Center (housed at the American
  Printing House for the Blind) (APH)
• A national repository of NIMAS source files that
  can be converted into formats accessible for
  students who are blind or have other print
  disabilities
• Instructional materials provided from publishers

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What is the Law for NIMAC?

• Participation in NIMAC is optional (school
  districts),
• All districts responsible for ensuring that each
  child who requires instructional materials in an
  alternate format will receive in a timely manner

• If district chooses to participate with NIMAC,
  contracts with publishers on and after Dec. 3,
  2006 must include a provision requiring files in
  accordance with NIMAS.

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What has Nebraska Accomplished?

• Changes in Rule 51 language 2006 and 2008
• 004.15 (A and B)
• Memos to Superintendents/Sp.Ed.
  Directors/Curriculum Directors in Oct. 2006 and
  May 2008
• All districts have to complete Statement of
  Assurances about timely manner of instructional
  materials (each year since 2006)

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What has Nebraska Accomplished?

• Created NIMAS/NIMAC Steering Committee
• Includes Nebraska Department of Education, Office
  of Sp. Ed. (NIMAC Coordinator) Nebraska Center
  for the Education of Children who are
  Blind/Visually Impaired and Assistive Technology
  Partnership
• Selected AU (authorized users)-NCECBVI
• Developed training/presentation throughout state
• Continue to problem solve concerns/issues/question
  s

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So What? Nebraskas Process for Accessing
Instructional Materials

• NCECBVI-Karen Duffy and Jim Adams
• ATP-Patti Neill

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Resources

• Readings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFBD)
  www.rfbd.org
• Bookshare www.bookshare.org
• Visit with Local Administration
• ATP/Education
• NIMAS www.nimas.org
• NIMAC www.nimac.org
• NCECBVI www.ncecbvi.org
• NDE, Office of Special Education
  www.nde.state.ne.us/sped/index.html

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ATP Education Specialists

• Dixie Trevarthen (serves ESUs 2, 3, 4, 19)
• dtrevarthen_at_esu3.org
• Lenette Sprunk (serves ESUs 5, 6, 7, 18)
• lsprunk_at_esu7.org
• Scotty Nelson (serves ESUs 1, 8, 17)
• scnelson_at_esu17.org
• Marcy Feik (serves ESUs 9, 10, 11, 15)
• mfeik_at_esu10.org
• Phylis Graney (serves ESUs 13 16)
• pgraney_at_esu16.org
• Leah Merkwan (statewide early childhood)
• lmerkwan_at_gpcom.net

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Questions, Next Steps, Evaluation