Accessible Educational Materials

Public education agencies (PEAs) are required by state and federal statute to provide accessible instructional materials in a timely manner to students with print disabilities. In 2006, a National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) was finalized to provide consistency in the electronic source files used to produce these accessible materials. Later that year, the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center (NIMAC) began operations. The NIMAC is designed to aid schools in the provision of accessible materials by acting as a central repository for NIMAS files. Files are placed in the NIMAC by textbook publishers as a condition of purchase contracts for materials adopted by the PEAs. PEAs must decide to opt-in or opt-out of utilizing the NIMAC. However, choosing to opt-out does not relieve the PEA of its obligation to provide accessible instructional materials in a timely manner. Files placed in the NIMAC may only be used to produce accessible instructional materials for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) who meet the criteria of a person with a visual impairment or print disability as defined in a 1931 federal law (2 U.S.C. 135a; 46 Stat. 1487) commonly known as the Chaffee Amendment. While anyone may search the NIMAC, only authorized users may request or download files. In Arizona, the Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services (ADE/ESS) is the only authorized user. Schools wishing to access a NIMAC file submit a request to ADE/ESS which then authorizes a download and assigns the file to an Accessible Media Producer for the creation of the accessible instructional material in whatever format is required.

Watch this video by Simply Said, a video by the PACER Center that explains AEM.

 

NIMAS File Request Form

AEM Requirements IDEA/ARS

Accessible Media Producers Database

Alternative Media Producers - ARS 15-203

Arizona textbook Accessibility Law

Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) Contact Information

AEM Administrator

[email protected]

(602) 542-3852 or (844) 260-2890 (Toll Free)

From the Exceptional Student Services Blog

INTERNAL PD OPPORTUNITY: 2022–2023 Project EASEL Professional Learning Series: Exploring Strategies for Social Emotional Learning Mon, Aug 15 2022 Professional Learning and Sustainability, Updates

Special Education Administrators,

Project EASEL, in partnership with ADE, would like to invite you to tune into the Exploring Strategies for Social Emotional Learning fall and spring professional learning series. We plan to share a variety of information and strategies that will support your understanding and implementation of assertiveness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. 

Registration is required for each session. Please view the this flyer with details of upcoming sessions and registration links. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m.
INTERNAL PD INFO: Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT) Fall Series Mon, Aug 15 2022 Updates, Assistive Technology Upcoming Events, Assistive Technology

Dear Educators and Therapists,

Are you overwhelmed by PD? Don’t have time for a 90-minute webinar? We got you! Please join the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services/Assistive Technology Team for our fall series titled “Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT).”

These fast, 30-minute sessions will showcase just one organizational or assistive technology tool or strategy that you can use in your classroom or teacher/therapist life. Are mornings or afternoons better for you? No worries; each JOT will be presented on Wednesdays at lunchtime and after school. Choose the time that works for you. The first sessions will take place on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, from 11:30 a.m.−12:00 p.m. and again from 3:00−3:30 p.m. The topic will be Get GO-ing with Graphic Organizers.