Missouri’s goals, among others, include the creation of an integrated system that coordinates NIMAC-related requests with activities that benefit children with disabilities who do not meet the NIMAC eligibility requirements building upon existing state programs and systems; the development of data management and tracking systems for managing NIMAS files and ensuring delivery of educational materials in accessible formats, and the reconciliation conflicting State and Federal statutory, regulatory and policy provisions related to procurement of accessible educational materials and file formats.
Diane Golden
Missouri Assistive Technology
4731 South Cochise, Suite 114
Independence, MO 64055
Voice:816-350-5280
Fax: 816-373-9314
dcgolden
swbell [dot] net
Missouri is an "open territory" state with no centralized textbook acquision. The selection and purchase of textbooks and instructional materials is a local district activity.
Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo) 170.132 — Current law requires all K-12 and post-secondary public schools to preferentially procure instructional materials from publishers who will provide Braille or electronic format.
http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/c100-199/1700000132.htm [1]
The Missouri SEA is responsible for identifying acceptable electronic file format(s), see
www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Blind/brailleguidelines.html [2]
Two bills have been introduced in the 2008 legislative session that would amend RSMo 170.132 to align provisions related to accessible instructional materials with IDEA requirements for IDEA eligible students and to establish comparable provisions for Section 504 eligible students, see
http://www.senate.mo.gov/08info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=134 [3]
and
http://www.house.missouri.gov/billtracking/bills081/bills/HB1544.HTM [4]
Yes.The Missouri State Education Agency is coordinating with NIMAC. Each of Missouri’s 524 Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and 28 Charter Schools made their own determination about coordinating with NIMAC as part of their IDEA local compliance plan. The vast majority of the LEAs decided to coordinate with NIMAC.
Missouri Assistive Technology
http://www.at.mo.gov/ [5]
Missouri defines “in a timely manner” to mean that the responsible public agency has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that students with print disabilities have accessible materials at the same time their fellow students without disabilities have their materials. (Missouri State Plan, page 97).
Mary Kay Savage, Executive Director
Missouri Parents Act (MPACT)
8301 State Line Road, Suite 204
Kansas City, MO 64114
816-531-7070
800-743-7634 (V/TTY)
E-mail: msavageptimpact [dot] com
Web: http://www.ptimpact.com [6]
NIMAS/NIMAC information
http://at.mo.gov/idea.html [7]
Missouri Department of Education
http://www.dese.mo.gov [8]
Missouri Division of Special Education
http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/ [9]
Missouri Instructional Resource Center for the Visually Impaired
http://www.msb.k12.mo.us/APH/NEWaph/home_page_aph.htm [10]
Links:
[1] http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/c100-199/1700000132.htm
[2] http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Blind/brailleguidelines.html
[3] http://www.senate.mo.gov/08info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=134
[4] http://www.house.missouri.gov/billtracking/bills081/bills/HB1544.HTM
[5] http://www.at.mo.gov/
[6] http://www.ptimpact.com/
[7] http://at.mo.gov/idea.html
[8] http://www.dese.mo.gov/
[9] http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/
[10] http://www.msb.k12.mo.us/APH/NEWaph/home_page_aph.htm