AIM Consortium

Principal Investigator
David Rose , Ed.D., CAST

Co-Project Directors
Chuck Hitchcock , M.Ed., CAST
Skip Stahl , M.Ed., CAST

Project Manager
Joy Zabala , Ed.D., CAST

Funder
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (Grant Number: H327S070003 )

Timeframe
2007-2009

Project Description
In most schools, print-based instructional materials, such as textbooks, are a prime way of delivering curricular content. This system works fine for many learners. But for others—those who struggle to read because of physical, sensory, cognitive, or learning differences—such materials are not usable for learning. These students need accessible instructional materials (AIM) in order to access the general education curriculum. Such access is guaranteed in federal education statutes, such as IDEA and NCLB, as well as those of several states.

CAST directs the AIM Consortium which brings together 15 states working to put into place effective systems to ensure that K-12 students with print disabilities receive the instructional materials they need in order to access, participate, and achieve in the general educational curriculum. The goals of the Consortium are to:

  • Help States develop systems for identifying, acquiring, and using accessible instructional materials; 
  • Ensure that these systems employ high quality procedures and practices;
  • Produce related products and services that can be made available to all States, Outlying Areas, and Freely Associated States.

Member states include: Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

To learn more about the AIM Consortium, go to http://aimconsortium.cast.org.

To learn more about Accessible Instructional Materials generally, see http://aim.cast.org.

CAST Joins Google to Mark World Book Day!
Read the release, see the new online literacy tools UDL Editions  and Strategy Tutor.

Watch a video introducing UDL Editions.