Accessible ITems
Voluntary National File Format Endorsed
In a landmark announcement for students with sensory and other print disabilities, the US Department of Education endorsed the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), version 1.0 on July 27th, 2004. Deputy Secretary of Education Gene Hickok discussed the new standard at an event commemorating the 14th anniversary of the ADA. The voluntary standard will guide the production and electronic distribution of flexible digital instructional materials such as textbooks so they can be more easily converted to Braille, text-to-speech, and other accessible formats.
When textbooks and classroom materials are produced using this voluntary standard, they will be in a standard electronic format that can be adapted to products ranging from Braille editions of textbooks to on-screen displays of text and graphics. In past years, the lack of a standardized format meant that publishers had to produce materials in multiple formats - often causing delays that meant students with disabilities did not receive their textbooks in time for the beginning of the school year.
While there are many barriers to accessibility, the problems that are caused by multiple formats are particularly frustrating and easily remedied. The adoption of a common, or standard, format is a simplifying step that has been crucial to progress in many other fields - from railroads (adopting a common track gauge), to video technology (adopting a common format for DVD, and HDTV). Similarly, progress in accessibility will be greatly abetted by defining a common national file format. With that single change, a number of barriers at many points in the educational system can be addressed.
- With one clear and consistent file format to produce, publishers would be able to deliver a high quality digital version expeditiously and simultaneously to all authorized entities for further conversion and distribution.
- With one consistent file format coming from different publishers, "authorized entities" would be able to efficiently transform these common formats into accessible formats (accessible digital versions and printed Braille, for example) and deliver them to local schools and school districts expeditiously.
- With one basic digital format from vendors, schools and school districts could adopt simpler, less costly, and timelier methods for acquiring materials, storing and retrieving them, purchasing additional assistive technologies, and training teachers and others in their use.
- With one basic digital format from their districts, teachers could get their accessible materials in a timely fashion, in a consistent format that will work with their classroom technologies, and in a consistent format that will be easier for them to learn.
- With one basic file format, students would finally get the accessible materials they need, when they need them.
The Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs provided funding to the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC) at CAST, Inc. to convene an expert panel to establish a voluntary, standardized format for materials. For more information on the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, please visit: www.cast.org/ncac.
[Source: The Need for A National File Format
(www.cast.org/ncac/TheNeedforANationalFileFormat3140.cfm)]
