To participate in the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC), a district needs to include a NIMAS provision in its contracts or purchases orders with publishers. When purchasing new textbooks, the district should require the publisher to send NIMAS files to the NIMAC, on or before delivery of the books. By doing this, districts will help to build a library of files at the NIMAC.

According to IDEA 2004, the NIMAC will maintain a catalog of "printed textbooks and related printed core materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction and are required by a state educational agency or local educational agency for use by students in the classroom." The NIMAC depends on participation by school districts to help to build its library.

NIMAS files are available only to blind or other students with print disabilities in elementary schools and secondary schools. See Documenting Student Eligibility for Use of NIMAS Files.

In most cases, districts will access accessible materials created from NIMAS files, rather than accessing NIMAS files directly. The following organizations will coordinate the conversion of NIMAS files into several formats, which districts can access on behalf of eligible students with disabilities:

• Digital text
  Vermont has named Bookshare as an AU. For students on IEPs if a student needs digital text for use with text-to-speech software, educators can download files from Bookshare. Bookshare has received a federal grant allowing it to serve schools at no cost. Files are available for many books, including those published before NIMAS went into effect in 2006. Before files can be downloaded, the district/school/organization needs to sign up for a school or group account, certifying that only eligible students will use the materials. For questions, contact staterequests@bookshare.org. Visit the BookShare FAQs.

 

• Bookshare Webinars:
  The ALLTech/Bookshare Webinars are now available for viewing as archived recorded sessions. Please follow the link(s) below to the session you would like to view. You may view these sessions as often as you wish. Upon clicking the link you will be prompted for your first and last name as well as an email address. **You do not have to register any particular email address to access these recordings** Please provide this information and your session will immediately follow. Enjoy the sessions and be sure to let us know if you have any questions/comments.
  
  These are recorded sessions. Use the player to move ahead/back to skip or re-listen to portions of the Webinar.
  
  Bookshare...How To (01/25/2010) Recording Final Copy
  
  https://spurwink.ilinc.com/join/cppvkfk
  
  Bookshare: You've Downloaded a Book. . . Now What? Recording Final Edit
  https://spurwink.ilinc.com/join/jyfkhkt
  
  Remember also that Bookshare.org has archived Webinars too! Go to for more information.

• Audiobooks
  If a student needs an audio CD, the district can order it from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB & D). CDs are available for many books, including those published before NIMAS went into effect in 2006. Before materials can be ordered, the district needs to sign up and pay for a membership, assuring that only eligible students will use the materials.
  
  The new AudioPlus DL is better for students because it gives them the books in a download fashion, which is much quicker than waiting on the mail, and it will be easier for them to load onto their Streams. The other format: AudioAccess is only used on regular MP3 players and does not give you the DAISY accessibility that the Stream does. The AudioPlus DL is what the VI community has been waiting for!
  
  AudioAccess product RFB&D offers---it must be listened to on the computer it was downloaded on, or synced to a compatible, commercial MP3 player. AudioPlus DL may be burned to CD and played on a DAISY player. It can also be transferred and played on another computer if there is software on that computer that will play DAISY files, and that is authorized by RFB&D. So--- AudioPlus can be downloaded on any computer that has downloaded RFB&D Download Manger. You must have an online account set up with RFB&D and know the username and password. Software that is necessary to play DAISY files are those such as: Victor ReaderSoft, Eclipse Reader or EASE reader. They are available from RFB&D online at https://custhub.rfbd.org/SearchPlaybackDevices.asp.

• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D

1. Select an annual membership level for each school.

Level	# Audio Books	Typical # Students Served	Annual Fee
Level 1	25	4-12	$350
Level 2	50	13-25	$500
Level 3	100	26-40	$950

2. Enter information about your school including name, address, billing, shipping information, and a valid e-mail address as well as the primary contact.
3. Accept our Copyright Acknowledgment agreement.
4. Certify Print-Disability for your students. Please review our disability certification requirements.
5. Select a playback device or software.
6. Complete your order and pay with a valid Credit Card or Purchase Order.

• book title, author, publisher, ISBN
• RFB&D member name and RFB&D ID for the school placing the order. 

All answers can be found on: http://www.rfbd.org/audioplus/. If you would like to download the entire RFB&D document click here: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D) (3 pages pdf)

• Braille and Large Print
  If a student needs braille or large print, the district (through its Teacher of the Visually Impaired) can contact the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired to request these materials. NIMAS has not changed the Library's policies and procedures; it just offers a more efficient means of providing textbooks in alternate media. Before a district can request materials, it must submit documentation of student eligibility for services.

Districts needing digital text or audiobooks can search the online libraries of Bookshare (digital text) and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (audiobooks). If a book is not found, the district can request that the book be added to those libraries.

The Department highly recommends that districts purchase a printed copy of a book for every student, regardless of the format that the student may ultimately use. In many cases, it will be helpful for students to have access to the printed book. In other cases, a copy of the book may be required in order to produce an alternate format, such as braille.

Students will probably need instruction on how to access the NIMAS-derived materials using the appropriate technology devices. It may be helpful to provide this same instruction to the students' teachers and parents. It is also important to continue providing reading instruction (including braille instruction, if appropriate) so that students will be able to access print as they encounter it throughout their lives. The student, team and family may also need instruction on the use of the Assistive Technology that makes the NIMAS files accessible to a student. (See Assistive Technology considerations).

School districts are responsible for providing accessible instructional materials to students with disabilities who need them, regardless of whether the students are eligible to use NIMAS materials. Schools can investigate purchasing accessible materials directly from publishers, obtaining permission from publishers to adapt existing materials, or adapting materials that are in the public domain (and thus free of copyright restrictions). The resources below provide suggestions.

1. National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS)
2. National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) (Video Clip)
3. NIMAS Development & Technical Assistance Centers (at CAST)
4. National Instructional Materials Access Center
5. Documenting Student Eligibility for Use of NIMAS Files
6. Accessible Textbooks in the Classroom
7. Accessible Textbooks in the Classroom II