Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM-VA)

The Virginia Accessible Instructional Materials Center (AIM-VA), part of the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities at George Mason University, will produce and deliver accessible instructional materials for Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in Virginia who have students with print disabilities. The AIM-VA will also provide training and technical assistance to LEAs who will order and use these accessible instructional materials. The AIM-VA will also assist the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to implement the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) regulations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

AIM VA opened on May 12, 2008. We are now accepting requests from DRMs.

Newsflash: Virginia has Access to the NIMAC!

On December 26th, 2007, President Bush signed H.R. 2764, the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, into law. This legislation included language indemnifying the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) thus enabling Accessible Instructional Materials Programs from all over the US access to NIMAS files submitted by Publishers to the repository.

The NIMAC, National Instructional Materials Access Center, is a central national repository established at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) that will contain NIMAS file sets. It will feature an automated system for allowing publishers to deposit NIMAS-conformant files within the repository. The files will be checked to confirm that they are valid NIMAS-conformant files, and the files will be cataloged in a web-based database. Those who have been authorized for access, such as AIM-VA, will have user identifications and passwords. We will be able to search the NIMAC database and download directly the file(s) we need to convert to accessible instructional materials for those students who are in elementary and secondary schools and have qualifying disabilities.