NIMAS/FloridaAccessible Instructional Materials

NIMAS/Florida is about … student achievement!

Definitions

NIMAS – National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard

This standardized electronic file format used by textbook publishers facilitates the creation of accessible core instructional materials for students with disabilities.

Purpose of NIMAS• Timely delivery of specialized formats to K-12

students

• Improved student achievement among print disabled students

• Eliminate duplication of effort by publishers and LEAs

• Provide greater copyright protection for publishers’ content

NIMAS and IDEALEAs have an obligation to:

– provide accessible instructional materials in a timely manner to eligible students with disabilities

– provide accessible instructional materials to students with disabilities who may need materials in accessible formats, but who are not eligible to receive materials produced from files obtained through the NIMAC

IDEA and the Chafee Amendment to the Copyright Act

• The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)o In December 2004, Congress passed the recent

amendments with final regulations published in August 2006. In order to receive books in specialized formats derived from NIMAS files, the student must have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) according to IDEA.

• Students must also meet the eligibility requirements to qualify for exemption to the Copyright Act defined under the Chafee Amendment.

Copyright Law of the United States of America

• The Copyright Law (US Code: Title 17 Section 121) provides that only those defined as “blind or other persons with disabilities” are entitled to copyright exemption!

• In other words, use of these materials with students that are not eligible according to these definitions would be considered an infringement of copyright.

What is a District Digital Rights Manager?

• Appointed by the District Administrator of

Exceptional Student Education (ESE), the District DRM will register with NIMAS/FL and sign an Agreement Form assuring that the district will adhere to the terms of IDEA and current copyright laws with regard to the files received from NIMAS/FL

District DRM(Digital Rights Manager)

• Five Local Assistive Technology Specialists (LATS)

Janine Chimera

Nancy Frana

Kathy Holloway

Janice Kelly

Susan Lerschlolarn

• Robin Gipson, FDLRS Technology Resource Teacher

Six District DRM’s

Responsibilities

• Order materials

• Provide professional development and technical assistance

SCHOOL DRM(Digital Rights Manager)

1 Provide IEP Team with NIMAS eligibility form

2 Verify and sign that eligibility information (competent authority and certified professional statements) is fully documented in the audit file

3 Submit eligibility information to DISTRICT DRM- completed eligibility form- copy of Statement of Disability by Competent Authority- ordering information for textbooks

Responsibilities:

School DRM responsibility continued…4 Gather all information regarding the book or books:

ISBN*PublisherTitleAuthor

Shipping LocationSubject Grade LevelAlternate versionsCopyright Date

5 In accordance with copyright law, DELETE OR DESTROY NIMAS materials at the completion of the semester/school year or if the student leaves the school district. (These materials cannot be used by another student.)

Students Who are Eligible for

Specialized Formats

BLIND - persons whose visual acuity, as determined by competent authority, is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose widest diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT - persons whose visual disability, with correction and regardless of optical measurement, is certified by competent authority as preventing the reading of standard printed material.

1. BLIND / VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

2. PHYSICAL LIMITATIONSPersons unable to read or unable to use standard printed material as a result of physical limitations.

Examples of physical limitations may include

- difficulty holding a book or turning a page

- difficulty tracking lines of print

This MUST be from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading printed material in a normal manner.

Access to NIMAS-derived accessible textbooks will allow students with print disabilities to gain the information they need to complete tasks, master IEP goals, and reach curricular standards.

3. READING DISABILITY

Certifying Professionals…• review the medical information received from competent

authorities documenting that students meet the eligibility criteria referenced in the Chafee Amendment,

• share the medical documentation with IEP teams so NIMAS eligibility can be addressed in the IEP,

AND…..

• are education professionals that have specialized training/experiences with the disability-specific students (blind, visual impairment, physical limitations, or print disabilities) being discussed with the IEP Team.

Who Makes the Determination?

Blindness and Visual Impairment

Competent Authority…• Florida licensed ophthalmologists • Florida licensed optometrists

Certified Professionals…• Teachers of Visually Impaired

Physical Limitations

Competent Authority…• Florida licensed Doctor of Medicine• Florida licensed Doctor of Osteopathy• Florida licensed PT or OT

Certified Professionals…• Florida licensed PT or OT• ESE Teachers

Reading Disability from Organic Dysfunction

Competent Authority…• Florida licensed Doctor of Medicine• Florida licensed Doctor of Osteopathy

Certified Professionals…• Psychologists with background in learning disabilities • ESE teachers of students with learning disabilities

IMPORTANT!!

• It should be noted that specific eligibility requirements for students to access instructional materials derived from NIMAS files are more restrictive than special education eligibility requirements.

• Not all students with IEPs qualify to access these

materials in specialized formats.

The IEP Team selects from the following specialized formats:

• To hear text (textbooks on CD).

• To see text without holding a book (textbook on a computer)

• To see and hear text read aloud (textbook on a computer)

• To see and hear text read aloud with highlighting (textbook on a computer)

Important Information

• Specialized formats do not include altering the content (i.e., the complexity) of the print instructional material.

• Instructional materials with copyrights prior to August 18, 2006, are not required to be placed in NIMAC by publishers. As a result, these titles will not be available through NIMAS/Florida.

Available Materialsfor Students withPrint Disabilities

What are …“Core Instructional Materials?”

• Printed textbooks and related printed core materials published with the texts…

– Written and published primarily for use in elementary and secondary school instruction

– Required by Florida Department of Education or school district for use by students in the classroom (State-Adopted Instructional Materials)

– FDOE describes them as “major instructional tools”

What Core Instructional Materials are NOT…

• Excludes materials that are not written and published primarily for use by students in the classroom (e.g., trade books not bundled with the textbook, newspapers and reference works) and ancillary or supplemental materials that are not necessary to meet the curriculum requirements for the intended course

State/National Resources• NIMAC – www.nimac.us

– Frequently Asked Questions -- http://www.nimac.us/faq.html

• Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) http://nimas.cast.org

– Resources -- http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/index.html

– Frequently Asked Questions -- http://nimas.cast.org/about/faq/index.html

• FDLRS/Tech– http://www.paec.org/fdlrstech/index.html

FORMS

*ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, is a unique numeric identifier. The ISBN has either 10 or 13 digits. A national edition of a textbook will have a different ISBN than a Florida Edition.

BREVARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FLORIDA

Office of Exceptional Student Education NIMAS Materials Order Form

Student: Date School: Contact Person: Format needed The student needs to:

Hear Text See & Hear Text Read Aloud See Text without holding book See and hear text read aloud with highlighting

Shipping location and address where materials are to be sent: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Book Information ISBN # Title Author Copyright Date Publisher Subject Grade Level

If text book is not available through NIMAS, it might be necessary to send an ink print (regular textbook) to be adapted

BREVARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FLORIDA

Office of Exceptional Student Education NIMAS Eligibility

Student name Student Number Date Grade Level

School DOB School DRM

Eligibility: Does the student have a reading disability that prevents him/her from reading or using standard print materials? yes no If yes, check one: physical disability organic dysfunction Need for this accommodation has been included on the IEP. ____________ Date

I certify that this student meets the eligibility requirements to receive materials from NIMAS. __________________________________ _________________________ ______________ Signature of School Certified Professional Print Name / Title Date I verify that this student meets eligibility requirements and that all documentation is on file. __________________________________ _________________________ ______________ Signature of School DRM Print Name / Title Date

Send a Copy of this completed form to District DRM (LATS, ESF) Complete NIMAS Materials Order Form.

Complete IEP with NIMAS supports

•IEP invitation – invite School DRM

•IEP participants – School DRM

•Special Factors – check need for assistive technology devices and services

1. Dropdowns under Effects of Exceptionality :

• unable to turn pages• unable to hold book• unable to track print on a page• reading fluency below grade level expectation• comprehension below grade level expectation

Complete IEP with NIMAS supports continued…

PLEPs– for all domains utilizing NIMAS textbooks

Complete IEP with NIMAS supports continued…

2. Dropdowns under Priority Educational Needs • student needs digital text • student needs audio • student needs digital text with audio• student needs large print

Complete IEP with NIMAS supports continued…

1. Supports for Personnel/Mods/Accom: Dropdowns - digital text large print audio text digital and audio text

Frequency - Dropdowns - available each school day each school dayLocation - Dropdown - school campus

SERVICES PAGE

Complete IEP with NIMAS supports continued…

2. Supplementary Aids and Services Dropdown - assistive technology

Frequency Dropdown - available each school day

Location - Dropdown - school campus

QUESTIONS

?

NIMAS/Florida is about … student

achievement!!!