AIM AND THE IEP
The Individualized Education Program team determines the need for accessible instructional materials. The need should be reflected in the “Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance” as well as documented in the “Supplementary Aids and Services” section of the Individualized Education Program.
Once a need has been established, the team must determine the appropriate route for acquisition of the accessible instructional materials. Written proof of disability is required for the provision of copyrighted accessible instructional materials In accordance with the U.S. federal copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 121).
The Proof of Disability must be completed and signed by a qualified professional in the field of disabilities services, education, medicine or psychology. This professional must be a recognized expert who attests to the physical basis of the visual, perceptual, or other physical disability that limits the applicant’s use of standard print. It is recommended that a copy of this documentation reside in the students CA-60.
Michigan’s Integrated Technology Supports (MITS) and Jeff Diedrich, State Coordinator for the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), have adapted the long-standing criteria for determining eligibility established by Bookshare.org, a project supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
Appropriate certifying experts may differ for different disabilities. In the case of blindness and visual impairments, a competent authority may be an ophthalmologist or optometrist; in the case of a perceptual disability, a neurologist, learning disability specialist (a teacher with this type of certification is an example), or school psychologist with a background in disabilities may be the most qualified competent authority - see eligibility criteria chart for additional information.