DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 123
May 9, 2008
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K.
Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Provision of Instructional Materials
for Students with Print Disabilities |
0n May 12,2008, the
Accessible Instructional Materials Center of Virginia (AIM-VA)located at George
Mason University (GMU) will be available to take orders for textbooks and core
instructional materials that need to be converted into alternate formats
(Braille, Large Print, Electronic Text, and Audio) for students with print
disabilities for the 2008-2009 school year. The overall mission of AIM-VA is to
develop and implement a statewide library system that is capable of producing
and distributing accessible educational materials, consistent with the National
Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) under the Individual
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This requirement assures students with
print disabilities have accessible instructional materials available to them in
accordance with their IEP in a timely manner.
AIM-VA replaces the
traditional process of ordering instructional materials for students with
disabilities in
AIM-VA will provide services
to all
To inform Local Education
Agencies in detail about AIM-VA, the Division of Special Education &
Student Services has prepared an implementation manual "Accessible
Instructional Materials for Students with Disabilities" that addresses the
new policies and procedures for ordering alternate formats of textbooks and
core instructional materials. Please consult the section of the manual on
eligibility and the role of the IEP to assist in the determination of who
qualifies for services. The implementation manual offers background information,
technical support, and links to related resources. It may be found at www.aimva.org under
Training Tools. The same section of the website offers a number of
instructional materials that serve as training tools.
Before a school can request
and receive materials from AIM-VA, the division superintendent must designate a
staff person(s) to be a Digital Rights Manager (DRM). The DRM is a local school
level staff person deemed by the superintendent to be responsible for
monitoring and documenting copyright compliance within the school. Larger school divisions may elect to appoint
multiple DRMs.
The DRM must request, receive, and track the usage of copyrighted
accessible instructional materials for students with print disabilities. The
instructions to designate and register the DRMs are
in Attachment A.
Efforts are underway to
educate parents, teachers, and administrators about the new resource. AIM-VA
will be working directly with schools to ensure continuity in instructional
resources for students with print disabilities. AIM-VA and its collaborating
partners will participate in presentations to educate Digital Rights Managers
about accessing alternate formats and technology used by students with print
disabilities. The AIM-VA team will be presenting further training through
regional sessions in the fall of 2008 to clarify the process and help students,
parents, and administrators access the resources.
Additional information may
be found at www.aimva.org.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the
following individuals:
Questions about AIM-VA:
Joyce Sharp (540) 948-6938
E-mail: Jsharp1@gmu.edu
Questions about placing
orders online and registering Digital Rights Manager(s):
Jackie Petersen 1-866-926-1879 E-mail: jpetersk@gmu.edu
General Questions:
John Eisenberg - (804)
225-2711 E-mail: john.eisenberg@doe.virginia.gov
BKCJr/hdc
Attachment
A:
The superintendent will need
to register by going to www.aimva.org and click on
superintendent login. To register, a superintendent will input their e-mail
address i.e., John.Eisenberg@doe.virginia.gov
and then enter a password. The password is the first part of the e-mail address
i.e., John.Eisenberg. Upon logging in, you will be
asked to change your password and submit updated mailing information prior to
registering DRMs. The database is limited to
registering 5 DRMs at a time; therefore, it may be
necessary for you to log in several times. When registering DRMs,
you will need the DRM's name, e-mail address, and
phone number for each DRM you wish to register. Upon completion of
registration, the DRM will receive an e-mail message confirming their
registration and providing a randomly selected secure password for them to log
in. Those having trouble accessing this application should contact AIM-VA by
e-mail aimva@gmu.edu or call 866-926-1879.
The DRMs
will receive an e-mail notification of their appointment. Upon completion of
the registration of a DRM, appropriate rights to access the AIM-VA library will
be granted. The DRM can then use the "Request Materials" section to
indicate which texts and accessible formats are needed.