Key Elements of the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act

This document is no longer timely and may be only of historical value.

For information on current issues go to the Education Issues section.

A summary of key elements of the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act that were incorporated into the House and Senate bills reauthorizing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act follows. The House passed H.R. 1350 on April 30, 2003; the Senate passed its version of H.R. 1350 (in lieu of S. 1248) on May 13, 2004.

House Version
H.R. 1350

Sec. 612(a)

• State required to adopt National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard
• State requires publishers to provide materials in standard format
• Secretary of Education establishes the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard

Sec. 613(a)

• Local Educational agency bound by same policy and standards as the State Educational agency

Sec. 674(c)

• Federal funds may be used to provide free educational materials in accessible formats for blind and print  handicapped individuals in elementary and secondary education

Senate Version
H.R. 1350

Sec. 612 (a)

• States required to adopt National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard
• State (NIMAS) contracts require publishers provide textbooks in standard file format or format which can be converted in the NIMAS
• State educational agency collaborates with assistive technology programs
• State and local educational agencies are required to adopt the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) which will be established by the Department of Education
• The purpose of this format is to provide accessible instructional materials to blind and visually impaired elementary and secondary students in a timely manner
• Contracts made with state and local educational agencies for instructional materials will require publishers to provide materials in the NIMAS or a format that can be converted into the NIMAS
• Publishers will provide electronic files in NIMAS or format that can be converted to NIMAS to Instructional Materials Accessibility Center which will be established with federal funding
• Any agencies receiving free instructional materials will receive materials in the accessible format in the same manner and expenditures will not be considered excess expenditures for the state and local agencies

Sec. 613(a)

• Local Educational agency adopts national file format
• Local Educational agency requires publishers to provide textbooks in standard file format

Sec. 675(a)(b)

• Department of Education will establish National Accessible Instructional Materials Standard
• Establishes National Instructional Materials Access Center
• Center coordinates acquisition and distribution of accessible instructional materials
• Center funding through competitive contracts