Acquiring Accessible Instructional Materials: What Districts Need to Know

Gail Gibbard, Oregon Textbook and Media CenterDrew Hinds, Oregon Department of Education

Sam Ko, Oregon Department of EducationShar Powell, Oregon Technology Access Program

Diana Roberts, Oregon Technology Access Program

AIM: Accessible Instructional Materials

• Textbooks• Core Instructional Materials• Provided in specialized formats• To support access to the general

curriculum• To enable students with print

disabilities to gain the information they need to complete tasks, master IEP goals, and reach curricular standards

AIM: What’s in it for students?

• Independence• Access to the Curriculum• FAPE• Enhanced Achievement

Accessible Formats

• Braille• Large Print• Audio• Digital text

OAR 581-015-2060 Accessible Materials

(2) School districts must ensure the timely provision of instructional materials in accessible formats to children who need instructional materials in accessible formats…

Stat. Auth.: ORS 343.041, 343.045

[AIM Fact Sheet #1]

“Children who need Accessible Instructional Materials” are students who cannot gain information from

traditional print materials.

Timely Manner

(4) shall be available in a timely manner… A timely manner means the materials are

available at the same time materials are available for students who do not need materials in alternate formats.

OAR 581-022-1640

[AIM Fact Sheet #2]

Accessible Instructional Materials in Textbook Adoption

As part of any print instructional materials adoption process… the Department of Education enters into a written contract with the publisher of the print instructional materials to require the publisher to…provide …electronic files…using the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS).

OAR 581-011-0052

National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS)

• Standard file format• Part of IDEA 2004• NIMAS-compliant files available

from the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center, NIMAC

National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC)

• IDEA 2004 mandates the establishment of the NIMAC

• a national repository for electronic files of textbooks and core related instructional materials in the NIMAS file format.

• a division of the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky.

Purpose of NIMAS

To help increase the availability and timely delivery of print instructional materials in accessible formats to blind or other students with print disabilities in elementary and secondary schools.

Access to Instructional Materials

(1) The state must adopt the NIMAS standard…for the purpose of providing instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner… after July 19, 2006.

IDEA 2004: CFR 300.172 (e)(1)(iii)

Authorized Users

• Only a state’s Authorized Users may request NIMAS files directly from the NIMAC.

• ODE has appointed OTMC, OTAP and Bookshare as the Authorized Users for Oregon

• AU’s are designated to download source files from the NIMAC for eligible students in Oregon.

[AIM Fact Sheet #2]

NIMAS Files for Provision of AIM

(1) School districts must ensure the timely provision of print instructional materials, including textbooks, that comply with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) for students who are blind or print disabled, in accordance with OAR 581-022-1640.

OAR 581-015-2060

Eligibility for NIMAS

• Students on IEP’s, • And who have:

– Blindness– Vision Impairment– Physical Limitations– Print Disability due to Organic Dysfunction

[AIM Fact Sheet #3]

NIMAS Eligibility must be established by Competent Authority

Definition of Competent Authority:“In cases of blindness, visual disability, or

physical limitations… doctors… ophthalmologists, optometrists, RN’s, therapists, professional staff of hospitals, institutions and public or welfare agencies, (e.g. social workers, case workers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and superintendants).” 36 CFR 701.6(b)(2)

Competent Authority, cont’d

“…In the case of a reading disability from organic dysfunction, competent authority is defined to include doctors of medicine who may consult with colleagues in associated disciplines.”

36 CFR 701.6(b)(2)

Documentation of Eligibility

School districts should keep on file,• Documentation of students’ eligibility to use

NIMAS files, • Certified by a Competent Authority.

[AIM Process Sheet #2: Verification of Eligibility Sample Form]

OAR 581-015-2060 Accessible Materials

(2) School districts must ensure the timely provision of instructional materials in accessible formats to children who need instructional materials in accessible formats, including those who are not blind or print disabled.

Stat. Auth.: ORS 343.041, 343.045

IEP Team Process: [Aim Process sheet #1]

1. Determine Student’s Need for AIM2. Identify Appropriate Specialized Formats3. Determine services, AT and training needed4. Identify individual(s) responsible for

providing AIM5. Determine settings in which AIM is needed6. Implement AIM7. Evaluate AIM

NIMAS Source files are not ready for student use.

NIMAS files must be converted into accessible, student-ready formats

Oregon Textbook and Media Centerfor Visually Impaired

Provides services to children who are visually impaired

Age birth to 21 and on an IEP

Provide textbooks in braille, large print and digital formats

Provide educational aids and equipment

Authorized user of NIMAC

Accessible Media Producer

Provide support to the teachers of the visually impaired

Converting NIMAS Files

• Set of files: title page - text – images• Not student ready• Large files can be more than 1 gigabyte• Publisher files vary in format• Conversion software doesn’t always work• 2007 copyright and later

NIMAS xml Converted Text<pagenum id="p3" page="front" /> <doctitle>Blast Off!</doctitle>

- <imggroup id="img02"> <img src="./images/thruout/StoryTownLogo.png"

alt="" /> <img src="./images/thruout/HarcourtLogo.png"

alt="" /> </imggroup>

</level>- <level1>

<pagenum id="p4" page="front">4</pagenum> <h1>Theme 4 Dream Big</h1>

- <list type="pl" class="toc"> <hd>Contents</hd> - <li>

<lic class="entry">Comprehension Strategies</lic> - <lic class="pagenum">

<a href="#p10" external="false">10</a> </lic>

</li>- <li>

<lic class="entry">Theme 4 Opener</lic> - <lic class="pagenum"> <a href="#p14" external="false">14</a>

</lic>

20

VocabularyBuild Robust Vocabulary enchanting cozy instead thrilled review celebrate

How to Be a Poet

I like the way a poem makes a picture with words. That’s why I want to write a poem of my own. I want it to soundenchanting when I read it to my parents. Now I have to think of something to write about. I’ll settle into a soft, cozychair near a window. I’ll look out at my snowy backyard. I might see a rabbit hopping across the snow. I’ll write a word picture of what I see.

Conversion Software• CAST http://nimas.cast.org/about/resources/conversion_tool• Free Download • XML filesets into leveled XML files and/or into leveled HTML files that can be opened and viewed in a

browser.• Good for reading on a computer.•

• TechAdapt http://www.techadapt.com• Free Download• convert DAISY 2005 and NIMAS files into Rich Text Format and to HTML-based books which require

no additional software to open and use.• Good for printing, reading on a computer, and audio.•

• Dolphin Easy Converter http://www.yourdolphin.com/dolphin.asp• Available for purchase priced from $1,500 to $2,500• EasyConverter quickly creates Large Print, MP3, DAISY and Braille versions of learning materials that

can either be scanned from paper, or input from Word, PDF, HTML, NIMAS, DAISY Xml, text or image files.

• Good for printing, reading on a computer, and audio. Converts from any source.

Selected AIM Formats 

 

Braille brf Braille Ready FileA braille-ready file is a data file in a special format that can be read on a braille display or transmitted to a braille embosser. The braille codes in braille-ready files allow blind people to read electronic documents from computer disks or from the Internet. (www.brailleplus.net)abtmeg Conversion tools for transcribing text dxb files into braille 

Printtxt plain text with no formatting. rtf Rich Text Format; used by word processing programsxml Extreme Markup Language; publisher’s files

Audiomp3 compressed audio formataud Audio file with natural human voicewav uncompressed audio formatwma Windows Media audio formatdsy Digital Accessible Information System, or DAISY; talking                       book format

DigitalHtml format used by the internet, read by browser softwarePdf Portable Document File: scanned documentJpeg, tiff digital photograph formats

Chafee Amendment to the Copyright Act

• A waiver to the copyright law • Allows authorized entities to reproduce or

distribute copies of published non-dramatic literary works into specialized formats

• To be used exclusively by persons who are blind or have other print disabilities

Resources for Acquiring AIM for students who are Blind or Vision

Impaired

Oregon Textbook and Media Center. Willamette ESD, Salem

http://www.wesd.org/sp/services/spec_svcs_otmc.asp

Resources for Acquiring AIM for Students with Print Disabilities

• Bookshare at www.Bookshare.org• Free to eligible students• Available for a fee to others

• Other AMPs• Recordings for Blind and Dyslexic

• Publishers • Fee-based resources

31

What is Bookshare™?• Bookshare is an online library of accessible

media for readers with print disabilities.

– Over 60,000 Members

– Over 7,700 schools and other organizations

– Over 50,000 titles

– Over a thousand new books added every month

Bookshare believes that

people with print disabilities should

have the same ease of access to

books and periodicals that people without

disabilities enjoy.

Funded by an award from OSEP, the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education.

as o

f 9/2

/09

What Does Bookshare Offer?

• Digital books for individuals with print disabilities

• FREE memberships for qualified U.S. students through OSEP award

• FREE assistive technology software

• 24/7 access to books

Bookshare as Oregon AU

• Use one-step search• Bookshare gets books ready for

students and sends email• Teacher downloads book for qualified

student• Average turnaround: 1 week or less

Get Book

Search

RequestTeacher

Bookshare

Teacher

Bookshare is now an AU for CA,

CO, KS, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MT, NH, NY,

OR, TN, VT, and Guam

as of 9/2/09

AIM Resources for non-NIMAS-eligible students

OR for non-NIMAS instructional materials

May be obtained by– Purchasing from other sources– Purchasing from publisher– Free resource– Web-based materials– Teacher-created electronic files

Public Domain Books

Creative work that is not protected by copyright and freely used by everyone.

Usually books that are older than 70 years.

Public Domain Sites

• Project Gutenberg is the largest collection of free eBooks. http://www.gutenberg.org

• The Franklin Free library of thousands of searchable titles. http://www.franklin.com/freelibrary/

• Kidsclick Web search for kids by librarian. www.kidsclick.org

• Knowledge Rush a catalog of free books available on the

internet. www.knowledgerush.com

Talking Word Processors or Text to Speech Programs

• Write Outloud talking word processing program. www.donjohnston.com

• Microsoft Reader with Speech Free ebook Reader www.microsoft.com/reader

• NaturalReader a professional text to speech program that converts any written text into spoken words. www.naturalreaders.com/download.htm

Resources for AIM in Oregon

• Oregon Textbook and Media Center (OTMC) www.wesd.org/sp/services/spec_svcs_otmc.asp

• Bookshare www.Bookshare.org

• Oregon Technology Access Program (OTAP) www.otap-oregon.org

Resources for Information about AIM

• National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC): http://nimac.us/

• CAST Center for Universal Design for Learning: http://nimas.cast.org/

• American Foundation for the Blind, NIMAS Overview: www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=58&TopicID=255&DocumentID=3139

• CAST AIM Consortium: http://aimconsortium.cast.org/