Educator Forms & Contracts

Contracts and Purchasing Resources

As classrooms start to incorporate more digital technology, it becomes increasingly important that materials used in the classroom are designed to be useable by all students from the start. This requires adjustments in the way materials are purchased, and that, in turn, will drive the availability of more flexible and accessible learning materials in the marketplace. WIND and WY AEM Clearinghouse support the national PALM Initiative (Purchase Accessible Learning Materials) to ensure this change happens as soon as possible. It is important for districts to make selection of new textbooks before April 1 of each year to ensure timely delivery of textbooks in the appropriate format for the upcoming academic school year.

Remember, as you purchase materials make sure the contracts/purchase orders for materials includes the following language.  This will ensure that students who need Accessible Education Materials (AEM) have access to the materials when needed.

Suggested language for contracts and purchase orders

“By agreeing to deliver the materials marked with "NIMAS" on this contract or purchase order, the publisher agrees to prepare and submit, on or before ___/___/_____ a NIMAS file set to the NIMAC that complies with the terms and procedures set forth by the NIMAC. The publisher also agrees to mark up materials eligible for NIMAS submission that contain mathematical and scientific instructional content by using the MathML3 (refer to latest applicable version) module of the DAISY/NIMAS Structure Guidelines as posted and maintained at the DAISY Consortium web site (http://www.daisy.org/z3986/structure/SG-DAISY3/index.html). Should the vendor be a distributor of the materials and not the publisher, the distributor agrees to immediately notify the publisher of its obligation to submit NIMAS file sets of the purchased products to the NIMAC. The files will be used for the production of alternate formats as permitted under the law for students with print disabilities.”

Request from WY AEM Clearinghouse

Once the contractual or purchase order language is agreed upon by the district and publisher, the publisher must provide the files to NIMAC.  Then the districts as needed can request the materials from Wyoming AEM.