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Utah program details braille, large-print textbook production and April 1 ordering deadline
Summary
Utah’s State Instructional Materials Access Center (USIMAC) outlined the multi-step process to produce accessible textbooks — braille, large print, tactile graphics and audio — and urged schools to submit complete orders by April 1 to meet timelines that can take weeks to months.
Armando Venegas, a staff member at the Utah State Instructional Materials Access Center, described how the state converts standard textbooks into accessible formats such as braille, large print, audio and digital versions for blind and low-vision students across Utah.
The process begins at each school when the general education teacher, special education teacher and teacher of the visually impaired meet to identify needed textbooks for the coming school year. "Many schools start as early as January," Venegas said, and the teacher of the visually impaired must add a new order to USIMAC’s production portal with format details, pacing guides and deadlines. He emphasized: "The most important thing that you can do is ensure that a complete order is received by April 1."
USIMAC staff review each submitted order to determine the most efficient procurement route. Venegas said the center will (1) purchase a provider’s already-completed accessible version, (2) use funds received through the American Printing House for the Blind to produce the text, (3) pull from USIMAC’s inventory, or (4)…
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