Procedures

Instructional Materials Center – Iowa Department for the Blind

The Instructional Material Center (IMC) and the Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (Library) at the Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB) are state resources for accessible educational materials (AEM).

Eligibility

The LEAs (School Districts) are responsible for determining a student’s Chafee eligibility.  The IMC will provide alternate format educational materials for students with demonstrated print disabilities.

• A signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be required of all LEAs that desire to obtain alternative format educational materials from the IMC.
• Each LEAs will designate an individual to enter orders online through the IMC order process and notify the IMC with that individual’s contact information.  A complete order includes the online order submission, hard copies as needed and a pacing guide for braille orders.
• Students will also need a completed Library application on file at the time the first order is placed.
• To be eligible for library services and to receive educational materials in accessible formats, such as braille, large print, audio or electronic formats, shall be determined as follows (Eligibility Criteria is pursuant to 17 U.S.C. Section 121, formerly known as the Chafee Amendment):
  • The student is enrolled in an elementary or secondary educational program
  • The student is eligible for or is already receiving services through an individualized educational program (IEP) or a 504 Accommodation Plan.
  • The student meets one of the following eligibility requirements:
    • Blindness - student whose visual acuity, as determined by competent authority, is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose widest diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.
    • Visual disability - student with correction and regardless of optical measurement, is certified by competent authority as preventing the reading of standard printed material
    • Physical Disability - student certified by competent authority as unable to read or unable to use standard printed material as a result of physical limitations.
    • Reading Disability - student certified by competent authority as having a perceptual or reading disability of sufficient severity to prevent their reading standard print.
  • Examples of Competent Authority:
    • Doctors of medicine; doctors of osteopathy; ophthalmologists; optometrists; registered nurses; therapists; and professional staff of hospitals, institutions (including schools), public or private welfare agencies, or any person whose competence under specific circumstances is acceptable to the Library of Congress.
• The LEA is responsible to maintain documentation that would support a continued eligible print disability. This documentation may include the relevant pages of the IEP, evaluations, and the report of the competent authority or any other reports or information.

Cost

Due to the uniqueness of the timing of the changes in procuring accessible educational materials, the IMC is available to assist in the cost of LEAs (School Districts) procuring materials for the 2022-2023 school year.

• For non-consumable items (textbooks and workbooks) which will be added to the Library collection, IDB (fiscal agent for IMC) will pay 70% of the total cost of each project and the School District will be responsible for 30% of the total cost of each project.
  • These items will be returned to the IMC to be added to the Library’s collection.
  • If a non-consumable is not returned to the IMC it will be invoiced as a consumable.

• For consumable items (worksheets, teacher-created worksheets, and online curriculum) which will not be added to the Library collection, IDB (fiscal agent for IMC) will pay 50% of the total cost of each project and the School District will be responsible for 50% of the total cost of each project.
  • These items do not need to be returned to the IMC.

For All Orders

All orders submitted to the IMC complete with the online submission, library application, pacing guide (if required) and original/usable hard copies (if applicable) are due by April 1^st of each year.  Orders received after this date will be completed in the order they are received. 

• The LEA (designated individual) determines which book(s) and materials their student(s) need and which accessible format(s) are required.
• The LEA (designated individual) fills out the online order submission for each student.
  • The order form is available online at https://idbimclibrary.blog
• LEA is required to submit a legible, original hard copy textbook or workbook with each ordered item.
  • Hard copy textbooks or workbooks submitted to the IMC for production purposes will be returned to the LEA if possible, following the completion of each order.
• Once the IMC has received the complete order, IMC staff will begin procurement or production.
  • Until all criteria for a complete order have been met, the order will remain incomplete and cannot be produced.
  • The IMC will follow up with the ordering party to confirm the status of order if necessary.

Braille Orders

In addition to the items above, the following items are applicable to braille orders.

• PDF files of any online curriculum are required.
• Verify with the publisher or author the ISBN connected to the book or materials.
• A pacing guide is required for all braille orders.  The pacing guide will outline the dates and chapter/units required at a specific time during the school year for that student.  This allows the IMC to produce braille volumes in advance of the student’s needs.
• The IMC cannot provide braille in customized formats if the book can be produced by an outside vendor.
  • If the accessible educational materials need to be produced in house, the IMC will accept limited customization requests for braille on a case-by-case basis.

• The IMC and vendor/contractors used by the IMC follow BANA guidelines regarding tactile graphics.  These guidelines can be found at http://www.brailleauthority.org/tg.  As outlined in sections 11.1.2 and 11.1.3, not all visual graphics can be produced in a tactile format.
• To ensure prompt delivery of the order, please verify the address selected for the order.
  • The LEA (designated individual) is responsible to make contact with the student’s school office to ensure the school staff is aware of order arrivals, as the IMC ships year-round.

Modifications and Cancellations to Orders

Production and procurement will continue until the orders are completed or cancelled.

• Notify the IMC as soon as possible to cancel a book, change a student’s pacing guide or any other changes.
• LEA (designated individual) is responsible for modification notices.  They should be emailed to imclibrary@blind.state.ia.us.
• Notify the IMC as soon as possible when the LEA designated individual is no longer responsible for a student they have ordered materials for.
• If notice of cancellation for a textbook or workbook comes after an order has been at least 50% completed, the LEA will be responsible for the cost of the entire order.  The 70% assistance from the IMC will still apply if the textbook or workbook is returned to the IMC to be added to the Library’s collection.

Production/Procurement Timelines

• For complete orders received by April 1^st, the IMC will begin production in accordance with the pacing guide submitted.  The IMC will ship the first three braille volumes of the book by the first day of school.  Every effort will be made to ship subsequent volumes in advance of the pacing guide.
• Orders received after April 1^st will be completed in the order they are received.  The IMC will provide a partial by the first day of school if the order is received before June 1^st.  Production after June 1^st will be determined based on vendor/contractor capacity.
• Braille Production:
  • The IMC recognizes the occasional need for last minute braille orders and has established the Quick Braille Program for any orders that are needed throughout the school year.
    • Quick Braille orders should be 10 pages or less and may result in a higher cost.
    • The Quick Braille Program also provides loaner embossers and EReaders to LEAs as needed to assist in quick access to braille.
    • The LEAs (designated individual) must use the online order submission process for Quick Braille items.
  • It is required that the LEAs (designated individual) turn in a pacing guide as soon as they are available.
  • Any modifications to the pacing guide after submission will require the need to discuss alternate arrangements with the IMC.

Distribution, Delivery and Return of Educational Materials

• Educational materials are shipped to the address identified on the original Student Material Order.
  • If shipping costs are incurred, they are included in the cost of the order.  The IMC will attempt to use “Free Matter for the Blind” as a shipping method, but some orders will require priority shipping.
• Braille orders will be shipped starting with the first three braille volumes and then as soon as subsequent volumes are ready until the remainder of the order is complete.
• LEA (designated individual) will be provided a material reconciliation list at the end of March listing materials that will need to be returned to the IMC.
• All non-consumable materials (such as textbooks, workbooks and novels) received throughout the school year must be returned to the IMC no later than June 30^th.
  • All books must be returned in complete sets including all volumes within the same shipment.
  • The entire book will stay on the LEA’s book reconciliation list until the complete set has been returned or invoicing has been paid for a replacement.
• Consumable materials do not need to be returned.

Invoicing

• The LEAs must provide contact information for the individual who is responsible for invoices and payments and notify the IMC with that individual contact information.
• Invoices will be issued by IDB on a monthly basis.
• The LEAs will provide IDB with any specific information they need for their payment process.

IDB is available to work with LEAs to accommodate their needs.

 Contact Information - Individual Responsible for Ordering Materials

Please list student name(s) the individual will be ordering for:

Contact Information for Individual Responsible for Financial Information