Database of Federally Funded Technical Assistance and Research Centers

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (AEM Center) at CAST is a knowledge-development, information dissemination, and technical assistance project whose activities and actions are designed to:

1. Expand and disseminate knowledge about Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) and technologies among key stakeholder groups.
2. Increase AEM Center stakeholders’ skills; and motivation.
3. Improve and enhance the organizational, material and structural capacities of AEM stakeholders so that they effectively use AEM resources.

The overall goal established by CAST and OSEP pertains to improvements in the availability and use of accessible educational materials and technologies for learning.

Created by IDEA 2004, the NIMAC is a federally-funded, searchable online repository of source files for K-12 instructional materials. We receive files in the XML-based NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard) format, and states use these materials in the production of accessible formats such as braille, large print, and digital text. The NIMAC currently has over 74,000 files from more than 160 publishers.

The Regional PTACs help OSEP’s funded network of Parent Centers address administrative/management challenges and increase their capacities to provide information and training to families of children with disabilities.  This resource takes you to the Center for Parent Information & Resources site where you can find more information about the four Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers.

Some of the Technical Assistance (TA) Services RPTACs provide to Parent Centers include:

• One-to-one consultations 
• Training/Webinars 
• Training for non-profit board training members 
• Help with needs assessment 
• Peer-to-peer mentoring 
• TA using technology to enhance programs and services 
• Regional meetings and conferences 
• Site visits  
• Non-profit management tools 
• Newsletters  
• Family- and Youth-centered service strategies