Large Type
Districts wishing to access the AIM Library must coordinate all paperwork and requests for materials through a DESE Licensed Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). The specialized instructional materials available can only be assessed, deemed essential, and administered by a TVI. Once the student has been properly registered, the TVI may proceed to request materials. As always, we process on a first come first serve basis, as time and funding permits. Inventory can’t be guaranteed. All requests must be submitted via a Materials Request Form.
From March to June, Ten (10) titles may be requested in large print for the upcoming school year. The 10 titles should be the priority materials for student engagement for the school year. Ideally, textbooks should be current, copyrights of 2018 and newer. We reserve the right to limit textbook requests and consider workbooks and recreational reading materials a low priority. The student’s school district is responsible for securing items that the AIM Library is unable to provide.
We will review student eligibility, check the resources available by criteria, and provide what we can as time and funding permits. Some copyrights might not have LP sources; however, the AIM Library may be able to coordinate production, depending on capacity. If that is the case, we will notify you asking for a clean print copy. Please keep in mind that large print production can take 2 to 4 months.
In October, another Ten (10) titles may be requested in large print. We will provide the best we can, given our capacity at that time.
LEA Textbook Enlargement Policy
IDEA 2004 added large print to the formats that no longer require permission from the publisher when an authorized entity produces a specialized format. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education consider LEA’s to fall under the Chafee Amendment definition of Authorized entity:
“a non-profit organization or a governmental agency that has a primary mission to provide specialized services relating to training, education, or adaptive reading or information access needs of blind or other persons with disabilities.”
It is therefore acceptable for LEA staff to enlarge textbooks for eligible students.
The AIM Library serves as an optional additional resource for LEAs seeking to borrow materials. The AIM Library is not equipped to respond to all of the needs of the Commonwealth’s students with visual impairments. Therefore, school districts cannot rely upon the AIM Library solely to meet their obligations to provide FAPE, including specialized materials deemed essential for student learning that are identified in the students’ IEP.