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Virginia Department of Education

Information on this page is provided by the Office of Special Education Instructional Services.
Phone 804-225-2932

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Accessibile Instructional Materials (AIM)

Summary of IDEA Legislation for Accessible Instructional Materials

The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) is the standard established by the U.S. Secretary of Education to be used in the preparation of electronic files suitable and used solely for efficient conversion into specialized formats for students who are blind or print disabled. NIMAS, published in 2006, is a file set that includes all information typically prepared for publishing, including metadata, images and text, and is used to produce accessible instructional materials for students who are blind or who have other print disabilities. Under IDEA, all state educational agencies (SEAs) must adopt NIMAS; however, SEAs and local education agencies (LEAs) may choose whether to coordinate with the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC), a national repository.

IDEA Regulations

1. Provide definitions related to purchase of and access to instructional materials. Federal regulations, under the IDEA, require accessible instructional materials for all children whose IEP teams have certified that the child needs print materials in an accessible format in order to deliver a Free and Appropriate Public Education.
2. Requires states to adopt NIMAS and establish a definition of "timely manner."
3. Establishes states rights and responsibilities to provide instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner either in coordination with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center (NIMAC) or a source approved by USED
4. Establishes requirements for the preparation and delivery of files.
5. Requires collaboration with state agencies to providing assistive technology programs.
6. Establishes responsibilities of LEAs for purchase of instructional materials.

USED Resources

• National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) – Topic document from USED’s Office of Special Education Programs
• Questions & Answers on the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS)

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