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Frequently Asked Question

Question: What is NIMAS, and how can it help my child with a disability?

Answer:

NIMAS (the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard) is a standard file format established by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that was created to make it easier for students with disabilities to access learning materials in the formats they need as quickly as possible. Electronic files of books created using the NIMAS format are designed to be easily converted into specialized formats, including braille, large print, audio, and digital text.

Students whose disabilities make it difficult to read standard textbooks may benefit from having access to materials in the specialized formats that can be produced from NIMAS files.

Feature: Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)

Accessible instructional materials provide the same information and content that are in standard print-based textbooks. The difference is in how the content is presented. Accessible instructional materials can be provided in four different formats: braille, large print, audio, or digital. Check out the articles and web resources below for further information on this important topic!

Interactive Resources

Family Matters: A Family Focused Introduction to Accessible Instructional Materials (archived webinar)

AIMing for Achievement (DVD)

AIM Navigator (online decision-making tool)

Articles

Accessible Textbooks: A Guide for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities

AIM Basics

A Parent’s Guide to Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Organizations

National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials

NIMAS Center