So, You’re an AEM State Contact and/or NIMAC State Coordinator So, You’re an AEM State Contact and/or NIMAC State Coordinator. What Does That Mean? Part 2 of 3 Nicole Gaines of the NIMAC Cynthia Curry and Joy Zabala of the AEM Center

Focus of Part 2 Working with the NIMAC as a State Coordinator, and using the NIMAC and Louis Plus as resources in providing specialized formats. Upcoming webinars with other sources of specialized formats: Bookshare: March 27, 3 PM ET Learning Ally: April 5, 2 PM ET

Outline NIMAC/NIMAS NIMAC Accounts for SCs A Quick Refresher Key Definitions SC Role NIMAC Accounts for SCs “Default” account: Creating and Removing AU Accounts “Hybrid” account: SC and Authorized User Functionality Using Louis Plus to locate student-ready materials

A Word about Eligibility and Sources of Specialized Formats All students who need specialized formats have a right to receive them. Today, the focus is on working with the NIMAC, and using the NIMAC and Louis Plus. Eligibility requirements for materials will vary depending on the source of the material. NIMAS has eligibility requirements that may not apply to materials provided by other sources.

NIMAC Refresher: Who We Are Created by IDEA 2004, the National Instructional Materials Access Center is a digital repository of NIMAS source files for K-12 textbooks and related printed core materials. The NIMAC works with over 140 K-12 textbook publishers who submit NIMAS files to the repository. We receive, validate, and catalog these files, and make them available through a searchable, secure online system.

NIMAC Refresher: The Files and Repository NIMAS source files are used by states to produce specialized formats such as braille, large print, audio, and digital text. Students who receive these materials must be served under IDEA and have a qualifying disability, in accordance with the National Library Service (NLS) guidelines. The online system is available 24/7 every day of the year, and now has over 48,00 files. Anyone can search the NIMAC: NIMAC search page

NIMAC Refresher: Opting In1 All 50 states, plus 7 Outlying Areas (US territories) have chosen to “opt into” the NIMAC. States that opt into the NIMAC agree to: Require publishers to provide NIMAS files to the NIMAC in the language of their print book adoption contracts and purchase agreements Abide by the limitations in IDEA 2004 and copyright in the use of NIMAS files

NIMAC Refresher: The State Coordinator 1 The NIMAC State Coordinator has only two responsibilities: Upon being designated as SC, sign the NIMAC Coordination Agreement on behalf of the state Designate and manage the Authorized Users for the state Authorized Users have access to download files and assign files for download to registered Accessible Media Producers.

NIMAC Refresher: Accounts1 The Three Primary Account Types State Coordinator: Creates and deletes Authorized Users. May or may not also be an AU. Authorized User: Has access to directly download files and assign files for download to registered Accessible Media Producers. Must be designated by SC. Accessible Media Producer: Can only download files assigned by an AU. Does not require designation by SC.

Key definitions In addition to setting out the responsibilities of the NIMAC, IDEA 2004 provides several key definitions that govern the NIMAC and NIMAS: NIMAS (File Format) Print Instructional Materials Specialized Formats Blind or other Persons with Print Disabilities These and the complete NIMAC-related language from IDEA 2004 can be found on the AEM Center website: NIMAS and AIM in IDEA 2004

Key definition: NIMAS format NIMAS stands for the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard. NIMAS is the only format that the NIMAC can receive. NIMAS is a format designed to be converted by software into other formats. It can’t be directly used by students. Because NIMAS files require conversion into a fully- accessible specialized format before use, they are not directly distributed to students.

Key definition: NIMAC Materials IDEA defines the materials for which SEAs and LEAs can require publishers to provide NIMAS: PRINT INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS—The term 'print instructional materials' means printed textbooks and related printed core materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction and are required by a State educational agency or local educational agency for use by students in the classroom.

NIMAS-exempt Materials Some materials used in K-12 are excluded. NIMAC generally does not receive files for trade books, college textbooks, or teacher ancillaries. The NIMAC is also unable to accept files for “born digital” materials. The effective date for NIMAS was July 12, 2006. SEAs and LEAs could begin requiring NIMAS in new contracts as of this date. (NIMAS was not retroactive to materials previously purchased.) If you aren’t finding materials you need, please feel free to contact the NIMAC for help.

Key definition: Specialized Formats IDEA 2004 defines the formats that can be produced from NIMAS: 'specialized formats' means— (A) braille, audio, or digital text which is exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities; and (B) with respect to print instructional materials, includes large print formats when such materials are distributed exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.

Key definition: Eligibility IDEA also provides the definition for NIMAS eligibility: BLIND OR OTHER PERSONS WITH PRINT DISABILITIES— The term 'blind or other persons with print disabilities' means children served under this Act and who may qualify in accordance with the Act entitled 'An Act to provide books for the adult blind', approved March 3, 1931 (2 U.S.C. 135a; 46 Stat. 1487) to receive books and other publications produced in specialized formats. IDEA points to the NLS guidelines for eligibility. Students must have both a qualifying disability and an IEP.

State systems for providing specialized formats Each state has its own system for producing and distributing accessible formats produced from NIMAS. Many states work with “national AMPs” such as APH and Bookshare, to serve NIMAS-eligible students. Other states may have more state or local resources, such as state instructional resource centers, or braille transcribers working at larger school districts. As the person who designates Authorized Users for the state, the NIMAC SC determines which individuals have direct access to download files from the NIMAC.

Who can be an AU? Authorized Users are usually from within the state educational structure—such as individuals at a school for the blind, state department of education, or IRC. However, states are also able to designate non-profits that qualify as “authorized entities” under Chafee to serve as an Authorized User. Bookshare, for example, is designated by many states as an AU.

State Coordinators as AUs State Coordinators are also welcome to designate themselves as AUs, if they are directly involved in NIMAS work. However, this is not required. The NIMAC provides two types of accounts for SCs, to accommodate both those who only wish to manage AUs, and those who also wish to serve as an AU themselves.

NIMAC SC Accounts NIMAC “Default” SC Account: Provides functionality to create and delete Authorized Users Provides ability to generate reports of your AUs’ activity NIMAC “Hybrid” SC account: Provides SC and AU functionality with one login (your SC login) Requires that the SC send in the NIMAC Limitation of Use Agreement (LUA) Upcoming NIMAC training webinar for Authorized Users: Join us on 3/13/2018 at 2 p.m. ET

NIMAC SC Account Demo NIMAC Demo “Default” SC Account Creating New Users Deleting Users Reports of AU activity “Hybrid” SC Account – all of the above, plus: Searching Downloading Assigning files to AMPs Contact Information The “Watchlist”

Louis and Louis Plus The Louis Database of Accessible Materials was created at APH almost 20 years ago, originally with a focus on serving students who are blind or visually impaired: Search Louis It is a free, searchable online database that allows providers of accessible formats to list the materials they have available, and for teachers, parents, and others to locate the materials they need. It currently includes materials from over 140 agencies.

Louis Providers of accessible formats send information about new materials to APH, and APH librarians review and add the information into Louis. If your state IRC makes materials available outside your state, please consider listing those materials in Louis. Louis Plus expands Louis by providing a way for organizations that have their own online databases to make that information available in a single, unified search.

Louis Plus Participants in Louis Plus include: Bookshare, Learning Ally, NIMAC, and the APH Tactile Graphic Image Library: Search Louis Plus While the NIMAC is a repository of source files, which are not distributed directly to students, most of the materials found in Louis Plus are student-ready materials. Formats include: braille, audio, large print, and digital formats, such as DAISY, EPUB, and BRF. Materials listed in Louis or Louis Plus may be available for sale, for loan, or on a membership basis.

Louis Plus Demo Louis Plus Quick Demo Searching for materials No dashes in ISBNs Louis Plus text search will search all fields Contact information provided for all organizations Direct link to NIMAC page if logged in

A final recap! IDEA 2004 provides the key definitions for NIMAS/NIMAC. As a NIMAC SC, you “opt into” the NIMAC on behalf of your state, and manage your state’s Authorized Users. NIMAC provides 2 account options for SCs: If you choose to designate yourself as an AU, you can access both the SC and AU functionality with one login. NIMAS files are a resource when you need to produce a specialized format that is not yet available. Louis Plus allows you to search the NIMAC plus student-ready materials available from over 140 other organizations with a single search.

Q & A

Contact the NIMAC or AEM Center Website: http://nimac.us Email: nimac@aph.org Telephone: 502-899-2230 or 1-877-526-4622 (1-877- 52-NIMAC) AEM Center Website: http://aem.cast.org Email: aem@cast.org Telephone: 781-245-2212