CAST and the Origins of NIMAS

The Problem: Students Left Behind 

Students with print-based disabilities — such as blindness, low vision, severe reading disabilities, and physical or motor impairments — routinely began school years without timely access to textbooks and instructional materials in accessible formats. Local, ad hoc solutions were time-consuming and often economically infeasible, leaving many students without equitable access to learning. Meanwhile, publishers received conflicting demands from more than 33 states, each specifying different file formats and delivery rules, creating costly chaos. 

CAST’s Foundational Role 

• Founded in 1984 to harness digital technology for flexible, customizable learning — CAST is the originator of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). 
• In 1999, CAST won a U.S. Department of Education cooperative agreement to establish the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC), marking its formal entry into national policy work. 
• In 2003, with funding from NCAC, CAST convened and chaired the National File Format Technical Panel: 40 experts including educators, publishers, technology specialists, and disability groups. The panel developed the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), a source file protocol, sophisticated enough for high-quality accessible outputs yet simple enough for publishers of all sizes to adopt.

From Voluntary Standard to Federal Law 

Simultaneously, the American Foundation for the Blind’s Solutions Forum, of which CAST was a member, was pursuing mandatory legislation through the proposed Instructional Materials Accessibility Act (IMAA). When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004, it incorporated the IMAA language and referenced NIMAS version 1.0 — fusing the legislative track with CAST’s technical work. The voluntary standard’s existence gave Congress the confidence that a national mandate was workable.

The NIMAS Centers at CAST: Implementation at Scale 

Between 2004 and 2014 CAST was awarded multiple cooperative agreements to host the NIMAS Development and NIMAS Technical Assistance work. Together, these Centers oversaw the ongoing improvement of the standard, helped establish the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center (NIMAC) repository at the American Printing House for the Blind, and assisted states, publishers, and conversion houses with implementation.  

As of 2026, all US states and outlying territories require that NIMAS files are sent to the NIMAC for subsequent transformation into accessible braille, audio, and digital book formats. The NIMAC houses approximately 90,000 NIMAS file sets, and these files provide students with disabilities timely access to inclusive learning materials. The NIMAC now provides the technical assistance and support related to NIMAS implementation, serving as the central resource for states, publishers, and accessible media producers. To learn more, visit the NIMAC Access Center  

Challenges & the Road Forward 

• NIMAS was initially established to address print instructional materials. In 2020, core digital learning materials were added to the type of NIMAS files that the NIMAC could accept. Despite this expansion, many K-12 digital learning materials and the systems that deliver them are inaccessible to students with disabilities 
• As states and local school districts undergo personnel changes, policies and procedures for acquiring NIMAS files as a part of contractual relationships with curriculum vendors may get lost. 
• General Education and Special Education often exist and separate administrative and professional entities at the state and local levels, despite their overlap within the general curriculum and its goals, methods, materials and assessments, yet addressing the needs of students with disabilities often persists as an afterthought. 
• While challenges remain, the Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES) continues to support states, districts, educators, and technology leaders in bridging the gap between general and special education. Through technical assistance, professional learning, and systems-level guidance, CITES helps stakeholders build a shared understanding of accessibility, inclusive technology, and Universal Design for Learning.  
• Technical assistance for NIMAS has transitioned to the NIMAC. Educators, state coordinators, publishers, and other stakeholders seeking guidance on NIMAS implementation, file submissions, and accessible educational materials should visit the NIMAC webpage, which now serves as the primary source for NIMAS-related support and technical assistance.