About the Program

The Maine AIM Program began as a federal grant project designed to provide technical assistance and training to Maine educators and families regarding the newly established National Instructional Materials Accessibility Center (NIMAC). Over the years Maine AIM has expanded to provide training and technical assistance regarding the identification of students with print disabilities, and the selection, acquisition and use of Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM). 

The Maine AIM Program serves schools through the Maine AIM Community of Practice and is administered by the Maine CITE Coordinating Center through the Maine Department of Education.

Feel free to contact the Maine AIM Program via e-mail at info@maine-aim.org or by calling Darcy York at 207-621-3195.

About Accessible Instructional Materials - AIM

Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) are specialized formats of curricular content that can be used by and with learners with print-disabilities. They include Braille, audio, digital text, and large print.

Braille is "a series of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or whose eyesight is not sufficient for reading printed material. …. Braille is not a language. Rather, it is a code by which languages such as English or Spanish may be written and read." (Source: American Foundation for the Blind). More information about Braille AIM.

Audio refers to auditory alternatives to printed text. Originally called "talking books" the new audio format provides users with recorded human narration and some rudimentary navigation. More information about audio formatted AIM.

Digital text, also known as “electronic text” or “e-text,” is what appears in common word processing or text editing programs. Examples of file formats include Rich Text Format (.rtf), ASCII, HTML, Microsoft Word (.doc) and a number of other formats. Digital text is malleable and transformable because it can be formatted (e.g., font, size, color) and converted to accessible form and used with various assistive technology (AT) devices. More information on digital text AIM.

Large print is defined by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) as “print for text passages that is larger than the print used by that segment of the population with normal vision. APH takes the position that large print for use by the low vision population is print that is eighteen points in size or larger.” More information about large print AIM.

To see demonstrations and hear more about AIM in the voices of students, please visit our Kids' Voices page.