NC 1501-14.3 Access to Instructional Materials

Plain English summary

This regulation establishes NC's adoption of the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) and coordination with NIMAC to ensure children with disabilities receive accessible instructional materials in a timely manner. Public agencies must take all reasonable steps to provide accessible instructional materials to children with disabilities at the same time other children receive materials. The SEA must include contractual requirements with publishers for NIMAS-compliant electronic files as part of any instructional materials procurement process.

Key requirements

• The State has adopted the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), published as appendix C to part 300, for the purposes of providing instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities, in a timely manner.
• Nothing in this section relieves the SEA of its responsibility to ensure that children with disabilities who need instructional materials in accessible formats but are not included under the definition of blind or other persons with print disabilities in NC 1501-14.3(e)(1)(i) or who need materials that cannot be produced from NIMAS files, receive those instructional materials in a timely manner.
• All public agencies must take all reasonable steps to provide instructional materials in accessible formats to children with disabilities who need those instructional materials at the same time as other children receive instructional materials.
• As part of any print instructional materials adoption process, procurement contract, or other practice or instrument used for purchase of print instructional materials, enter into a written contract with the publisher of the print instructional materials to require the publisher to prepare and, on or before delivery of the print instructional materials, provide to NIMAC electronic files containing the contents of the print instructional materials using the NIMAS.
• Provide instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner.
• In carrying out this section, the SEA, to the maximum extent possible, must work collaboratively with the State agency responsible for assistive technology programs.
• The definitions in paragraph (e)(1) of this section apply to each State and LEA, whether or not the State or LEA chooses to coordinate with the NIMAC.

Affected parties

• State Education Agency (SEA)
• Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
• Public agencies
• Children with disabilities
• Blind persons or other persons with print disabilities
• Publishers of print instructional materials
• State agency responsible for assistive technology programs

Official source

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/documents/publications/catalog/ec144-policies-governing-services/open#page=49