Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)AT Bootcamp

ATIA 2013Behnke, Marotta, & Wojcik

AgendaVideo OverviewA Roadmap for Accessible Instructional

Materials (AIM)EligibilityPrint DisabilitySpecialized FormatsAcquisition of AIMAIM NavigatorResourcesComments and Suggestions

Review Video

“AIM Simply Said” by the National Center on AIM

http://aim.cast.org/learn/accessiblemedia/allaboutaim

The Texas Road Map forAccessible Instructional Materials

Developed to help give a visual GPS to help you navigate the way through

accessible instructional material acquisition

Provides 2 routes:Eligibility and acquisition routes

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Federal Eligibility

1. Blind persons: visual acuity is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correction or visual field no greater than 20°

2. Persons certified by competent authority: even with correction, visual disability is preventing the reading of standard printed materials

Federal Eligibility

3. Persons certified by competent authority: unable to read or use standard printed materials due to physical limitations

4. Persons certified by competent authority: have reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading of printed materials in a normal manner

Print DisabilityStudent /child is not able to use standard

print materialsFrequently the result of a visual

impairment, physical disability or reading disability

Meets copyright criteria for specialized formats

Federal definition of “Print Disability”

Accessible Instructional MaterialsIncluded in IDEA 2004Requires that core instructional materials

be provided in a timely manner in specialized formats when needed by students with disabilities

4 specialized formats: Braille, large print, audio and digital text

Braille

Tactile literacy medium used by learners who are blind

Uses six dots, presented in various combinations, to represent text, numbers, punctuation, and special signs and symbols

Can be accessed using technology such as a PDA (e.g. note-taker) or braille display

Large PrintEnlarged copy of regular-print-sized materialsFacilitates ease of reading for learners with

low visionAt least 18 point and largerReadability depends on font type, use of

white space and other features (e.g. bold or underline vs. italicized text)

APH Print Guidelines for Document Designwww.aph.org/edresearch/lpguide.htm

Serif FontSa

ns-s

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AudioSound files Does not include textIncludes recorded files, usually saved as

Wave or MP3 filesFiles can be accessed using the computer

(e.g. Windows Media Player) or portable media players (e.g. iPod, Book Port Plus, VictorReader Stratus)

Digital TextMay be referred to as electronic text

or e-textProvides visual and auditory supportsAvailable in various formats such as online

HTML or EPub Can be accessed using specialized software

(e.g. Read Hear™) or hardware (e.g. Apex, VictorReader Stratus, VictorReader Stream)

Authorized Users for NIMACAuthorized Users (AUs) of the NIMAC have

direct access to the NIMAC to download NIMAS file sets or assign NIMAS file sets for download by Accessible Media Producers (AMPs) who are registered with the NIMAC.

Bookshare Learning Ally

Publishers and OthersAmerican Printing House for the Blind is also

a federally-funded Accessible Media Provider

Accessible materials can also be purchased from publishers (e.g. Pearson) and other commercial resources

Top 10 questions to ask publishers

Group or Indivdiual Activity

What do you currently do for accessing AIM?Review the top 10 questions to ask publishers.

Determination of Materials

Things to consider: Learner’s needs Recommendations from personnel Availability Implementation and support Parental involvement Environments Technologies

AIM NavigatorInteractive tool to facilitate the process of

decision-making of AIM for individual learnersProcess consists of 4 major decision points:

determination of need selection of format(s) acquisition of format(s) selection of supports for use

Useful resources provided to help guide the ARD committeehttp://aim.cast.org/experience/decision-making_tools/aim_navigator