NIMAC & You! –Cathy Johnson, KSB
Linnie Lee, KDE
Mike Abell, CIIDL
Conference for Exceptional Children
Fall 2007
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
Today we’ll look at:
NIMAS
NIMAC

What NIMAS is

Why it’s part of IDEA 2004

What IDEA requires

Key terms and definitions

How NIMAS process
works
•What the NIMAC is
•What does NIMAC do
•How does NIMAC distribute file sets
•How to obtain materials in alternate
mediums
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2007
What is NIMAS?
N
I
M
A
S
National
Instructional
Materials
Accessibility
Standard
A new national technical standard with specifications
for the production of print instructional materials in
accessible formats
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NIMAS is a technical standard established for use by
book publishers to produce source files (in XML) that
may be used to develop multiple specialized formats
for children with print disabilities
Due to: • Blindness
• Visual impairments
• Physical limitations
• Reading disability
from organic
dysfunction
•
•
•
•
Braille
Large print
Audio text
Digital text
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Why is NIMAS
part of IDEA?
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Almost 30 years of research and experience has
demonstrated that the education of children with
disabilities can be made more effective by—
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NIMAS plays
a key role in
maximizing
access
…having high expectations for such children
and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum
in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible…
55,200 Children in U.S.
who are legally blind
26,113 Children 6-21 served
under IDEA’s category of
“Visual Impairment”
Nearly 2.9 million
Children 6-21 served under
“Specific Learning Disability”
74,065–“Orthopedic Impairments”
Imagine not being
able to read any of
these books
Not all will need
what NIMAS can
offer, but
many will
And your teacher
392,671–“Other Health Impairments” has just assigned a
report project on
131,682–“Multiple Impairments”
the Civil War
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For children with print disabilities
–-
NIMAS is a giant leap forward.
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NIMAS:
What IDEA
Requires
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Establish a State
definition of “timely
manner”
Each State must—
Adopt NIMAS
in order to provide
instructional materials to blind
persons or other persons with
print disabilities in a timely
manner
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Key Definitions
1—
Blind persons or other
persons with print
disabilities
…in accordance with
“An Act to provide books for adult blind,”
approved March 3, 1931, 2 U.S.C. 135a
§300.172(e)(1)(i)
…means children served under Part B of IDEA
who may qualify to receive books and other publications
produced in specialized formats
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Library of Congress Regulations Related
to the Act to Provide Books for the Adult Blind
“Blind persons or other persons with print disabilities”
includes:
 those whose visual acuity is 20/200 or less*
 those whose visual disability, with correction, prevents the
reading of standard printed material*
 those who are unable to read or unable to use standard printed
material as a result of physical limitations*
 those who have a reading disability resulting from organic
dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent the reading of
printed material in a normal manner*
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* as certified by competent authority
Key Definitions
2—
Competent authority
36 CFR §701.6(b)(2)
• doctors of medicine
• doctors of osteopathy
• ophthalmologists
In cases of
blindness, visual
disability, or
physical
limitations, the
term includes:
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• optometrists
• registered nurses
• therapists
• professional staff of
hospitals, institutions,
and public or welfare
agencies
Key Definitions
2—
Competent authority
36 CFR §701.6(b)(2)
• doctors of medicine
who may consult with
colleagues in associated
disciplines
In the case of a
reading disability
from organic
dysfunction,
the term includes:
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Key Definitions
• Printed textbooks
• Related printed core
materials
• Materials written and
3—
Print instructional
materials
20 USC 1474(e)(3)(C)
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published primarily
for use in elementary
and secondary schools
and required by an
SEA or LEA for use
by children in the
classroom
Key Definitions
4—
Specialized formats
Copyright Act
[17 USC 121(d)(3)]
• Braille
• Audio text
• Digital text
• Large-print formats*
* when such materials are
distributed exclusively for
use by blind or other
persons with disabilities
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Key Definitions
5—
NIMAC
The national repository of
NIMAS source files
National
Instructional
Materials
Access
Center
Maintained and coordinated
by the American Printing
House for the Blind (APH)
in Louisville, Kentucky
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Working with NIMAC
4—
Authorized
users prepare
specialized
formats for
children
1—
SEAs or
LEAs
“adoption”
5—
Guess
what
happens
here.
2—
K-12 publishers
submit filesets
3—
NIMAC does
its magic!
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1—SEAs or LEAs “Adoption”
When purchasing/acquiring print instructional materials,
State must enter into a written contract with publisher to:
• Require publisher to prepare electronic
NIMAS files of text materials and provide the
files to NIMAC on or before delivery of print
materials, or
• Purchase instructional materials from
publisher that are (or may be rendered) in
specialized formats
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2—K-12 publishers prepare and submit filesets to NIMAC
Time for techno-speak.
(You knew it was coming.)
Its parts get XML
tagged.
You start with the
textbook.
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Voilà!
You have an XML-tagged fileif that textbook page.
…..we’ll come back to this in a minute.
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3—
does its magic!
NIMAC checks to make sure that
files from publishers are in valid
NIMAS format
Files are catalogued into a
Web-based database
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Authorized users can search
database for needed
materials and download files
directly
Role and Responsibilities
NIMAC
will:
• maintain a catalog of print instructional
materials prepared in the NIMAS made
available to the Center by the textbook
publishing industry, SEAs, and LEAS
• provide access to print instructional
materials, including textbooks, in
accessible media, free of charge, to blind
or other persons with print disabilities in
elementary schools and secondary
schools
• develop, adopt and publish procedures to
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protect against copyright infringement
with respect to the print instructional
materials
NIMAC FACTS
Why did APH establish the National
Instructional Materials Access Center?
• The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 named
APH to house the NIMAC.
• The same legislation requires states to adopt
the NIMAS file format for source files for
accessible materials for their K-12 students.
NIMAC FACTS
What does the NIMAC do?
• The NIMAC receives and catalogs publishers'
electronic files of print instructional materials in the
NIMAS format. We also sign up registered users and
provide the searchable web interface.
• OverDrive, Inc. is the vendor who is providing the
database software and off-site storage for the
NIMAC’s file sets.
NIMAC FACTS
What is NIMAC’s relationship to
APH?
• Although physically located at APH,
NIMAC is a separate entity and exists
outside of APH’s regular business
operations. For this reason, we have a
separate web site and telephone
numbers.
NIMAC FACTS
How does the NIMAC distribute file sets?
• NIMAC does not work directly with students, individual schools,
teachers, or parents.
• A small number of Authorized Users (AUs), such as
IRCs,schools for the blind, or personnel from state departments
of education are named in each state.
• AUs can download files from the NIMAC, and have them
converted into student-ready formats like braille.
• AUs can also assign files to Authorized Media Producers
(AMPs) registered with NIMAC to download on their behalf.
• Anyone may search the public database.
NIMAC FACTS
How does the NIMAC distribute file sets?
• NIMAC does not work directly with students, individual schools,
teachers, or parents.
• A small number of Authorized Users (AUs), such as
IRCs,schools for the blind, or personnel from state departments
of education are named in each state.
• AUs can download files from the NIMAC, and have them
converted into student-ready formats like braille.
• AUs can also assign files to AMPs registered with NIMAC to
download on their behalf.
• Anyone may search the public database.
Kentucky’s Authorized
Users
• ?? (at KDE???)
• Mary Ellen Smith, Kentucky Instructional
Materials Center, Kentucky School for the
Blind
• Mike Abell, ??, Center for Innovation &
Instruction for Diverse Learners
• Others????
NIMAC FACTS
What kinds of materials are in the
NIMAC?
• NIMAC contains NIMAS files of elementary and
secondary “printed textbooks and related printed
core materials.”
• No other file formats can be accepted.
• Remember: The NIMAS format is not student-ready.
These files are not distributed directly for use in the
classroom. They must be converted to the finished
specialized format first.
• NIMAC cannot help parents or teachers who are
seeking PDF, audio files or other e-book formats.
Working with NIMAC
4—
Authorized
users prepare
specialized
formats for
children
1—
SEAs or
LEAs
“adoption”
5—
Remember
what was
under
here?
2—
K-12 publishers
submit filesets
3—
NIMAC does
its magic!
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Digital File Request Process
The building level principal must appoint a Digital
Rights Manager (DRM) –
https://apps.kde.state.ky.us/kamd/index.cfm?fuseaction=materials.
request_materials (log in using the same user name and password
used for other KDE Web applications and choose the “Principal”
button)
Click on “Select Your DRM”
Request Process Cont’d
Search for individual
Choose from retrieved names
Enter DRM’s position within the school district
and click “Submit”
Request Process Cont’d
System should confirm appointment
E-mail notifications sent to principal and DRM
which will contain directions on what to do next
in order to gain access rights to materials request
section of KAMD
Request Process Cont’d
1. DRM must review eligibility criteria outlined on KAMD Home page
Link to eligibility form
Request Process Cont’d
2. DRM must have Eligibility Form completed before requesting materials
3. DRM may now request materials for purchased textbooks by logging in to
the “Request Materials” section of the KAMD
Choose either “Add New Books” or “Edit Existing Books”
Search for desired book
Request Process Cont’d
Request 1 CD for each title
for each eligible student .
When finished, click “Finish
Request” button
You should confirmation of update.
Log out.
CIIDL will then process your request.
You will receive an e-mail once request has been completed and is on the
way to you, usually within two weeks.
What File Format Can I Expect?
• Textbooks published prior to July
2006 are likely to be PDF
• Textbooks published after July
2006 will be NIMAS files and
currently can be converted to either
RTF or HTML formats
What do you mean by “converted”?
NIMAS files are raw XML files that are not student ready
Example:
<p class="pagenum" id="p74">Page 74</p><p><a
class="pageHyperlink" href="bodymatter.htm#p73">Previous
page: 73</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a
class="pageHyperlink" href="bodymatter.htm#p75">Next page:
75</a></p></div><a name="1185"></a><h3 id="1185">Everyday
Magnets</h3><p>Many things use magnetic force to help them
work.</p><p>Computer games have magnets in
them.</p><p>Magnets help keep refrigerator doors
closed.</p><p>Some toy cars have magnets in them.</p><p>The
magnets make their motors run.</p><div class="imggroup"><img
src=".\images\U00C04\965502-0074-01.jpg" alt="Can" id="p9655020074-01"></img><p class="caption"><strong>A can opener cuts
the lid of a can. A magnet lifts the lid off the
can.</strong></p></div><div>
Looks like this when converted into HTML format:
How can these files benefit
students with visual impairments?
 They can be used with text reader or screen
reader software
 They can be converted to an audio file (RWG 8)
Names You Can’t Live Without
National Instructional Materials Access Center
www.nimac.us/
Louis Database of Accessible Materials
www.aph.org/louis.htm
Kentucky Accessible Materials Database
http://apps.kde.state.ky.us/kamd/
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“Stayed tuned…”
What’s in store for
the future…..
As conversion tools enter
the market and
new options become
available, we’ll keep you
Informed.
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