The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to adopt National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) for the purpose of providing instructional materials to persons who are blind or other persons with print disabilities, in accordance with sections 612(a)(23)(A) and 674(e) of the IDEA.   Eligible students are those who are blind or who have other print disabilities and who may qualify to receive books and other publications produced in specialized formats in accordance with  “An Act to Provide Books for Adult Blind,”  as codified in 2 USC §135a.  (See 34 CFR §300.172(e).  

OSSE coordinates with the National Instructional Materials Center (NIMAC) to support Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in their work to ensure that eligible students have the widest range of supports and services available under the law to ensure access to the general curriculum.

OSSE's coordination with NIMAC allows LEAs and eligible students to directly access materials through the District of Columbia's authorized user, Bookshare.  Any LEA that chooses to access NIMAS materials through NIMAC should work directly with Bookshare.  Bookshare supports digital accessible text based on Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) format and digital Braille Ready Format (BRF).  Bookshare’s memberships and books are completely free to qualified US students, due to a special award from the U.S Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

For more information related to NIMAS/NIMAC coordination, relative resources and contact information, please see OSSE's policy.

The official state NIMAS/NIMAC coordinator for the District of Columbia is Ms. Jessica Dulay.  All specific questions regarding NIMAS/NIMAC responsibilities and coordination should be directed to Ms. Dulay at [email protected] or 202- 741-7669.