Accessible Educational Materials Center
The Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) Center is part of the Outreach Program at the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
WCBVI AEM Center services are available to public, private, and home schools and agencies providing educational programs for prekindergarten through 12th grade children and students who are blind or visually impaired.
Services provided include:
- Loaning assistive technology devices and capital equipment such as Light Touch Brailler, SMART Brailler, Electric Brailler, and Unimanual Brailler;
- Obtaining K-12 textbooks and educational materials for qualifying children and students through funds provided by the American Printing House (APH) Federal Quota Program;
- Textbook research and vendor referrals; and
- Central repository of braille and large print textbooks and specialized educational aids for loan.
For recreational reading or professional materials, please contact our Media Center at 608-758-6118.
Forms, Processes, and Policies
AEM Resources
WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Resources
- DPI Bulletin 20.02: Legal Requirements for Accessible Educational Materials for Eligible Students with Disabilities
- AEM Decision Tree for IEP Teams
- Wisconsin AEM Center: Contact WI AEM Center for students who are not blind or visually impaired and for whom the IEP team has determined the need for accessible formats. The WI AEM Center can assist in securing copyright protected K-12 textbooks and core instructional materials.
- WI General AEM Recorded Webinars
- WI AT Forward Microcredentials – including AEM Microcredential
- WTBBL. As part of a national network cooperating with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) provides audiobooks and Braille materials to Wisconsin residents who cannot read or use regular print materials as a result of temporary or permanent visual or physical limitations. Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)
National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC)
- NIMAC Website
- Teachers Parents and Students FAQ
- NIMAS & Digital Materials: May 2020 Notice of Interpretation
- Designing for Accessibility: The POUR Principles
- NIMAS in Purchase Orders & Contracts
American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
- APH Website
- APH Louis: Louis is a database of accessible educational materials from agencies and organizations across the U.S. It is designed to help educators and parents quickly locate the accessible materials students need, while reducing duplication of effort by sharing information from over 75 organizations in one place. The Louis search also allows users to search the NIMAC, Bookshare, and Learning Ally databases. Check out the Louis training video for helpful information on searching the new website.
- APH Instructional Products Online Catalog
- Accessible Media Producers Database (AMP)
Other resources
- 2013 Dear Colleague Braille Letter from OSEP
- 2014 Dear Colleague on Meeting the Communication Needs of Students with Hearing, Vision, or Speech Disabilities
- Bookshare: A program supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), providing alternative AEM options for qualifying students with with dyslexia, learning disabilities, visual impairments, physical disabilities, and other reading barriers. Join the Bookshare Community on Social Media Platforms.
- Learning Ally: A national nonprofit, requiring membership, providing AEM support for students and adults with an eligible print disability. Join the Learning Ally Educator Community.
- NFB-Newsline: NFB-Newsline is a free audio news service for anyone who is blind, low-vision, deafblind, or otherwise print-disabled that offers access to more than 500 publications, emergency weather alerts, job listings, and more.
WCBVI AEM Center contact information
Email: accessible.materials@wcbvi.k12.wi.us
Address: WCBVI AEM Center, 1700 W State Street, Janesville, WI 53546