Ordering Textbooks

Please watch the recorded webinar on the new FIMC-VI portal on the Recorded Webinars page and view the FIMC-VI Portal User Guide for more details.

To order braille or large print textbooks, teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) must be authorized in the FIMC-VI Portal by their administrator.

Tips for Ordering Materials 

• In order to ensure that your students will have the materials they need, FIMC-VI must receive all textbook requests well in advance.
• In some cases, the required braille or large print books will be in FIMC-VI's inventory.  If a braille book is not available, the transcription process may take six months or more, depending on the complexity of the text. 
• If the braille book has been previously transcribed from a national edition, TVIs often select that edition to speed up delivery time.  There are usually only minor differences between a Florida edition and a national edition.  Purchasing a previously transcribed book takes about two months versus six months or more for a newly transcribed book.
• Initial transcriptions for technical materials (math and science) in Unified English Braille will have longer production times due to the smaller number of qualified vendors available.
• Initial transcriptions for all braille materials are procured from outside vendors, so FIMC-VI cannot guarantee official shipping dates for these items.   
• You do not need to wait until you have a student's entire textbook list to start placing orders.  
• Depending on when an order is placed for an initial braille transcription, FIMC-VI may use discretion to have production start past page 1 of a textbook.  You may receive chapter 2 or 3 first while the preliminary pages, the table of contents, and the beginning chapters may arrive last.  In these situations, teachers should plan to provide students with the initial chapters through other means.

Obtaining Textbook Lists

FIMC-VI will send out a reminder each year, normally at the beginning of March, for braille requests to be submitted for the following school year. Where schools are reluctant to confirm class allocations or resources anticipated, FIMC-VI staff are available to assist you to work with school administrators. Classroom teachers and administrators need to understand the importance of knowing what materials are needed early in order for your student to receive the accessible format learning resources they require to meet their learning objectives.

Textbook Adoption Accessibility Reminders

As your district makes textbook adoption selections, be sure to consider accessibility for your students with disabilities. 

How can districts help ensure instructional materials are accessible and provided in a timely manner?

• Ensure digital content is accessible for all students with disabilities, including students with physical impairment, learning disabilities, visual impairment, or deaf/hard of hearing.
• Include language in your purchasing agreements that directs publishers to provide NIMAS files to the NIMAC.
• Adopt materials from the SEA adoption list, as the SEA has signed a coordination agreement with the NIMAC where they agree to direct publishers to provide NIMAS files to the NIMAC as part of their adoption contracts or purchase agreements.
• If a NIMAS file is not available for any adopted materials, “the LEA must provide an assurance to the SEA that the LEA will provide instructional materials to blind persons or other persons with print disabilities in a timely manner (34 C.F.R. § 300.210).”

What is NIMAS and NIMAC?

• NIMAS stands for National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard and represents the HTML file standard to be used in the preparation of electronic files suitable and used solely for efficient conversion into accessible formats (i.e., DAISY files, BRFs, EPUBs, Word files, etc.). NIMAS files are provided by the publisher and are restricted for use by eligible students under IDEA.  NIMAS files can also be created for static, digital-only materials.
• NIMAC stands for the National Instructional Materials Access Center and is the national repository of NIMAS files provided by publishers. The NIMAC was created in IDEA 2004 to help improve the quality and delivery of accessible formats to eligible students with disabilities.
• In IDEA 2004, SEAs and LEAs were given the option to coordinate with the NIMAC, which means that the SEA has signed a coordination agreement with the NIMAC, or an LEA has a coordination plan on file with its SEA. SEAs and LEAs agree to direct publishers to provide NIMAS files to the NIMAC as part of their adoption contracts or purchase agreements when acquiring student instructional materials.
• The Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired uses NIMAS files to produce braille and large print textbooks for students with visual impairments.
• Learn more from the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials.

 

Using the FIMC-VI Portal

Once a student is registered with FIMC-VI, you may order textbooks and other literary materials using their FIMC-VI student number. 

After signing in to the FIMC-VI Portal select the Textbook tile and use the "Search the catalog" field to search for a book by title, author, or ISBN.  When searching for a textbook, always start with the ISBN found on the inside front pages of the textbook (do not include dashes).  A separate order must be made for every book in each format that is needed.  When viewing items in the Portal, items that are shown as Add to Queue will be readily available, whereas items that are listed as Order Request or Special Order Request will have a longer wait time.  

Please check that the correct shipping address is used for each order.  To have an address added to the system, use the Add Shipping Location button in the Queue or when checking out Order Requests and Special Order Requests. TSVIs are responsible for ensuring that school office staff are aware that orders will be arriving for a student.

Special-Order Requests

If an item is not available in the desired format, you will need to make a special-order request by filling out the "Special Order Request" link or form in the Portal.  Follow the prompts to complete the process. Braille special order requests will have longer production times than large print requests. 

Ink-Print Requests

If you receive an email requesting the ink-print for a textbook order, mail that physical print textbook to FIMC-VI via first class mail as soon as possible.  This print textbook will not be returned to you, and the production process will not begin until FIMC-VI receives it.  Use the following address when sending these to us: FIMC-VI, Attn: Denise/Shipping - Ink-print, 4716 W Montgomery Ave, Tampa, FL 33616.

Cancellations

Production and procurement will continue until orders are completed or cancelled.  Notify FIMC-VI as soon as possible when you need to cancel a book order.  All cancellation notices must be emailed to Denise Battle.
 

    Returning Textbooks to FIMC-VI

       Teachers may review their Loan History in the Portal to confirm what materials they have borrowed and need to return to FIMC-VI.  

All non-consumable materials received throughout the school year must be returned to FIMC-VI no later than July 1.  

When shipping textbooks to FIMC-VI, use the following guidelines:​

• Keep volumes of one book together in one box if possible.  If you need more than one box for a book, put a note in the box indicating which volumes are present.
• Number the outside of the boxes, along with your name and district: Anderson/Hillsborough 1 of 16 boxes
• If any volumes are lost, consumed, or damaged, place a note referencing that volume in the box.
• If volumes from more than one book will be in a box, place a piece of paper between the books.
• Use this shipping address: FIMC-VI, Attn: Denise/Shipping-Textbooks, 4716 W Montgomery Ave, Tampa, FL 33616.
• Ship textbooks via Free Matter for the Blind.  According the USPS, the words "Free Matter for the Blind" should be written on the package where the postage would typically be placed.  

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Lost, Consumed, or Damaged Textbooks

Any large print and braille textbook volumes that are lost, consumed or damaged must be reported to Denise Battle (include the access number, title, and volume).  Please recycle any consumed or damaged volumes at your location.    

 

Renew or Reassign Textbooks

If a student will need to keep a textbook over the summer or following school year, or if you have another student who will need the textbook next school year, email Denise Battle (include the access number and title).