About Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)

In most schools, print-based instructional materials, such as textbooks, are a prime way of delivering curricular content. This system works fine for many learners. But for others—those who struggle to read because of physical, sensory, cognitive, or learning differences—such materials are not usable for learning.

These students need accessible instructional materials (AIM) in order to access the general education curriculum. Such access is guaranteed in federal education statutes, such as IDEA and NCLB, as well as those of several states. On this site you'll learn the following: 


AIM Initiatives

NIMAS image NIMAS Centers
The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) guides the production and electronic distribution of digital versions of textbooks and other instructional materials so they can be more easily converted to accessible formats, including Braille and text-to-speech.

AIM image AIM Consortium
The 15-state AIM Consortium is exploring ways to improve the quality, availability, and timely delivery of accessible instructional materials to K–12 students with print disabilities.

Spotlight

An Educator's Guide to Making Textbooks Accessible and Usable for Students with Learning Disabilities Center for Applied Special Technology and LD Online (2007)

Making Math Accessible through Shaping Education Policy by Steve Noble, Director of Accessibility Policy, Design Science, Inc.