EASI Webinar: The Future of E--books Is Here!

Accessible E-textbooks for Students:
May 1
2 PM Eastern

Presenters:
Nicole Gaines, NIMAC Manager, American Printinghouse for the Blind Julia Myers, Director, Resource Services and NIMAC, American Printing House for the Blind, Skip Stahl, Project Director, NIMAS Development Center, Center for Applied Special Technology

President Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) on December 3, 2004 which, among other things, mandated the provision of textbooks and instructional materials in accessible formats for students who are blind or print disabled. While the legislation relates to K-12 students, we believe that the more that publishers are creating accessible e-textbooks for K-12 that they will inevitably expand to a broader audience. If not, there will be an outcry from K-12 students as they transition into higher education wanting the same quality of support for their studies. This will be like dropping a pebble into the water. The wave will expand to include higher ed and the general public. Learning about this dramatic e-book revolution is important for all of us.

This presentation will focus on NIMAS, (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard), the role of APH, (American Printinghouse for the Blind) and the role of CAST, (Center for Applied Special Technology).

The National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) is a file repository for core print textbooks and related instructional materials required for use by blind or other persons with print disabilities in elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. and its territories. These National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) source file sets can be used to create specialized formats, such as braille, large print, audio, or digital text. The NIMAC opened in December 2006.

CAST is the home of the NIMAS Development Center and the NIMAS Technical Assistance Center, Cooperative agreements with the Office of Special Education Programs, United States Department of Education.

While this Webinar is free, you need to register in advance to guarantee a seat in the room. (Those who register, whether or not they attend, will afterwards receive a link to the recording.) When you connect over the Internet to the Webinar room, you can listen to the presenters and watch as supporting Web pages are pushed to reinforce the presentation. The audience can also make comments or ask questions either by using a mic to talk or by writing into the room's text window.

To read more and register to reserve a seat and to get login information for this free event, go to: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

Look for other future Webinars on that page. We have several being finalized and they should be on that page very soon. The EASI month-long, online courses on accessible Information Technology for May are:

• Barrier-free Information Technology (4-week online course starting May 7) http//easi.cc/workshop.htm
• Creating and Repurposing More Accessible Content (4-week online course starting May 7) http//easi.cc/workshop.htm
  

Norman Coombs
CEO EASI

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