Resources for School Staff
Resources for School Staff
What is National Instructional Media Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)?
National Instructional Media Accessibility Standard is a technical
standard established for use by book publishers to produce source files
(in XML) that may be used to develop multiple specialized formats for
children with print disabilities.
This was formulated within the IDEA Improvement Act and implemented
through the repository called the NIMAC, the National Instructional
Media Access Center, national electronic file repository that makes
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) files
available for the production of core print instructional materials in
specialized formats. Created under IDEA 2004, the NIMAC receives source
files in NIMAS format from textbook publishers, and makes these files
available for download to Authorized Users in the United States and its
territories through an online database. Once downloaded, files can be
used to create a variety of specialized formats, such as braille, audio,
or digital text, on behalf of qualifying blind, visually-impaired or
print-disabled students in elementary or secondary school.
Accessible Educational Material (AEM) Navigator
The AEM Navigator is an interactive tool that facilitates the process
of decision-making around accessible educational materials for an
individual student.
The four major decision points in the process include:
1. Determination of need
2. Selection of format
3. Acquisition of format
4. Selection of supports for use
The AEM Navigator also includes a robust set of guiding questions and
useful references and resources specifically related to each decision
point. Different scaffolds of support are built in so that teams can
access information at the level needed to assist them in making
informed, accurate decisions.