NIMAS — The National Instructional
Materials Accessibility Standard
What Is NIMAS?
NIMAS is a standard and the acronym stands for the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard. NIMAS was incorporated into the 2004 IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act), Part B – Assistance for Education of All Children with Disabilities).
The NIMAS standard is found in Section 612, under State Eligibility. “The State adopts NIMAS for the purpose of providing instructional materials to blind and other persons with print disabilities, in a timely manner.
Currently electronic data can come in many forms, such as pdf, MS word document and rtf. Because the standard (NIMAS) has now been specified, it is important for educators to look for materials in this format and the appropriate tools and software that will support this standard.
Here's an FAQ that address common NIMAS questions.
What Does NIMAS Mean for Your IEP Students?
NIMAS gives students a better opportunity to participate in and make progress in the general education curriculum.
Picture these learning scenarios, Scenario I, Scenario II or Scenario III and you will quickly understand the importance of NIMAS — and how you, as an educator, can learn how NIMAS files work and help your students benefit from this standard.
The information contained here will help you better understand how NIMAS will provide alternative formats to access core instructional materials for your students with learning challenges.
This brief overview of the NIMAS statute demonstrates how NIMAS relates to selecting quality products and services to support your learning disabled students and additional resources for continued knowledge.
About Our President:
Ruth Ziolkowski, President of Don Johnston Incorporated, is a Keller MBA graduate, former occupational therapist and the ATIA representative of the NIMAS Development Committee from 2005-2007. Ruth is well known in the field of special education and speaks across the country to inform educators and publishers about NIMAS and its future impact for educators, students and print publishers.
View Archived NIMAS Webinar Recordings delivered by Chuck Hitchcock, Director, NIMAS Development and Technical Assistance Centers and Chief Technology Officer
NIMAS 101: What Educators Need to Know
NIMAS: Implementation Issues and Solutions
