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AIM NEWS FLASH
 On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), held a hearing that we believe may be of interest to you: "The Promise of Accessible Technology: Challenges and Opportunities" - focusing on the importance of accessible technology and how this issue is impacting students with disabilities in K-12 and higher education.
Multiple perspectives and compelling testimony were offered by the Department of Justice, National Federation of the Blind, Columbus, Indiana's Superintendent of schools and California State University's Center for Accessible Technology.
Lots of fodder for conversation and quotable quotes! 4 stars from the AIM Center! Access the archived video and written statements.
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AIM State Pages Who uses them and why?
Whether you are a classroom teacher, administrator at the state, district or school level, or parent of a child with print-related disabilities, it can be difficult to know where to start to find answers to the questions you have about accessible instructional material (AIM) policies, processes, and resources that will help you in your state.
A good place to start is your state's AIM page, on the AIM Center website. 
Here you'll find the name and contact information of your state AIM/NIMAS Coordinator (this month we are featuring the work of state coordinators in Louisiana and Maine) as well as a host of information on AIM acquisition, production, policies, procedures, AT resources, and family guides. State pages are updated on a regular basis (last update: November, 2011).
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Quality Indicators for the Provision of AIM What are they and how do they help?
The Quality Indicators for the Provision of AIM, developed by the 15 AIM Consortium states, describe seven major elements of effective, coordinated AIM systems. Given the variability of policies and practices across state and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs), the Quality Indicators (QIs) are designed to provide consistent goals and to promote multiple state- and locally-focused ways to achieve those goals.
The QIs, aligned with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), can be used by SEAs and LEAs to plan, implement, and evaluate the development of coordinated systems for the timely provision of AIM.
This month we spotlight strategies used in Louisiana and Maine related to Quality Indicators 1 & 2, creating a coordinated and timely system for AIM. Discover strategies used by these states that might work for you. Check them out below.
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Introducing the AIM Implementation Spotlight Series Sharing AIM challenges, strategies, resources with each other
The AIM Center is working to support and maximize your opportunities for learning from each other. The AIM Implementation Spotlight Series will share, via the AIM Connector e-newsletter, challenges, strategies, resources you have developed and believe might be helpful to your colleagues, families and stakeholders.
To guide and focus us in our sharing, we'll look to the seven AIM Quality Indicators, as they reflect the various elements of a coordinated system for the timely provision of AIM. This month, for example, we look at how two states are making progress toward Quality Indicators 1 & 2. Looking ahead, we will feature strategies around written guidelines, supporting learning opportunities, monitoring and evaluation, data collection/use, and resource issues.
Let us spotlight you. Contact Janet Gronneberg at the AIM Center (email: jgronneberg@cast.org) to learn more.
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Spotlight on Louisiana - Creating a One-Stop-Shop for AIM What's working in this textbook adoption state?
A special thank you to Jackie Bobbett, for sharing her thoughts about the challenges and strategies in creating a coordinated and timely system for AIM (Quality Indicators 1 & 2).
"Many people talk of the importance of creating a shared vision when putting a new system into place. But how does one actually do this? We had an 'ah-ha' moment when, in a group brainstorming session, we came up with the vision of an online one-stop-shop for textbook orders, procurement... Read more.
Learn more:
Questions for Jackie? Contact her at the LA DOE: Jackie.Bobbett@LA.GOV
Louisiana's one-stop-shop website
AIM Center's Louisiana state page
Related AIM Center webinar (archived recording and PowerPoint slides): December 8, 2011
What Works in Textbook Adoption States: Developing and Maintaining a System that Ensures Timely Delivery of AIM
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Spotlight on Maine - Setting-up and Sustaining an AIM Community of Practice What's working in this open territory state?
A special thank you to Kathleen Powers, for sharing her thoughts about the challenges and strategies in creating a coordinated and timely system for AIM (Quality Indicators 1 & 2).
"As an open-territory state with an unusually high number of independent school districts, Maine responded to the NIMAS legislation by convening a broad group of stakeholders charged with responsibility of assisting the Maine Department of Education with implementing the laws and regulations.
"From the beginning there was the recognition that a broader agenda existed and that the process must encompass all students with print disabilities who need specialized formats (AIM for all). The stakeholder group, designed as the AIM Community of Practice (AIM CoP), represents a broad array of disciplines such as librarians, teachers, parent organizations, school management and local special education director associations, AT specialists and Maine's one to one laptop program (MLTI)... Read more.
Learn more:
Questions for Kathy? Contact her at the Maine Department of Education's CITE Program, kpowers@maine.edu
Maine's AIM Website
AIM Center's Maine state page
Related AIM Center webinar (archived recording and PowerPoint slides): December 6, 2011
What Works in Open Territory States: Developing and Maintaining a System that Ensures Timely Delivery of AIM in Open Territory States
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New and Newsworthy on AIM Trends in e-books, accessibility in education, digital learning tools, publishing
The AIM Center staff is culling through the myriad of news sources and pulling out the very best and most insightful ones and sharing them in a feed on our homepage, updated daily. Over 300 articles archived and available! Our must-reads for this month:
EPUB 3 unleashed
Why Won't Amazon Compete in the ePub Market?
iPad Textbooks: Reality Less Revolutionary Than Hardware
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STAY CONNECTED
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 Join us on:
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MEET MAINE's AIM/NIMAS COORDINATOR
|   Kathleen Powers, Maine AIM/NIMAS Coordinator
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Kathleen Powers provides leadership for Maine's Statewide Assistive Technology Program, Maine CITE. She manages this comprehensive program promoting access to and acquisition of assistive technology for people of all ages with disabilities. She co-directed Maine's AIM Project as a member of CAST's AIM Consortium and previously coordinated interagency and transition activities in collaboration with the Maine Departments of Education and Labor.
Check out Kathy's recent interview with the AIM Center on how they are using communities of practice for AIM collaboration, communication and dissemination -- on the AIM Center's Maine State Page.
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MEET LOUISIANA's AIM/NIMAS COORDINATOR
|  Jackie Bobbett, Louisiana AIM/NIMAS Coordinator
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Dr. Jacquline Bobbett serves as an Educational Program Consultant within the Division of Curriculum Standards at the Louisiana Department of Education. She is Louisiana's designated state coordinator for NIMAS/NIMAC and Secretary for the National Association of State Textbook Administrators (NASTA). Dr. Bobbett served as a partner in the Louisiana-AIM Consortium and continues to facilitate access to state-approved instructional materials for all students. She holds a Ph.D. in K-12 Administration and Supervision.
Check out Jackie's recent interview with the AIM Center on how the Louisiana team used the vision of a one-stop-shop for AIM as a foundation for their coordinated AIM services - on the AIM Center's Louisiana State Page.
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AIM QUICK TIPS
3 things schools, districts, states can do to promote AIM
| 1. Check out the Accessibility Pledge at Atomic Learning and follow Indiana's example to create a customized pledge for your state.
2. Ask Bookshare and Learning Ally about institutional and individual memberships and disseminate information across your state.
3. Download a free copy of the "Protocol for Accommodations in Reading" manual developed by Denise DeCoste and Linda Wilson from donjohnston.com.
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AIM TA TIPS
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We just got back from the ATIA annual conference in Orlando, Florida where the hot topics were mobile technology (smaller, stronger, faster), applications "in the cloud" (available via most any device with an internet connection) and the collaboration between EPUB3 and DAISY (an accessibility/usability wow!)! Each of these topics holds very high interest for all of us committed to the timely provision of AIM for students with disabilities, students who are struggling readers, and students who just prefer options to print for some reading tasks.
It is an exciting time and much change is afoot. We're here to help you stay on the leading edge.
Joy Zabala
Director of Technical Assistance
AIM Center
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