Identification of Students with Print Disabilities

A Print Disability is:
"A condition related to blindness, visual impairment, specific learning disability or other physical condition in which the student needs an alternative or specialized format (i.e., Braille, Large Print, Audio, Digital text) in order to access and gain information from conventional printed materials."

Maine AIM - Accessible Instructional Materials

Identifying a student's need for Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) begins with an understanding of what a "print disability" is. As noted in the functional definition above, a student with a print disability is one who is unable to gain information from standard print materials and needs an alternative or specialized format. Print disabilities are related to blindness and low vision; physical disabilities; or learning disabilities. Read more about print disabilities

In Maine public schools, the process of identifying a student with a print disability, and therefore the need for AIM, is a collaborative process of a school-based team, such as the:

  • Individual Education Program (IEP) team
  • Section 504 team
  • Student Assistance or Support Team (SAT or SST)
  • Response to Intervention (RTI) team
  • Pre-referral team

Within any of these team structures, a student's needs are determined, and recommendations for accommodations, modifications, or interventions are made. One consideration for students who have difficulty with accessing standard print materials could be the existence of a print disability. If the team determines that a student has a print disability and needs AIM, the next step is to select the specialized format(s) that will meet the student's needs.

For more information about this topic, we encourage you to view the free, one-hour training webinar: Determination of a Student's Need for AIM

Need Help?

In addition to the Resources and Help on this website, there are several Maine organizations offering Technical Assistance to schools.

AIM Navigator from NC-AIM

Special Resource

The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials (NC-AIM) has developed a useful on-line tool to assist school-based teams with the indentification and selection process. The AIM Navigator is a process facilitator that guides the work of a collaborative team as they work through the AIM-related needs of individual students. It is not a screening or diagnostic tool. The AIM Navigator consists of a series of guiding questions to assist teams with decision-making about need, selection, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional materials. Learning supports for completing each decision-making step are available throughout. Visit the NC-AIM and view the AIM Navigator Link to external resource.

Next Step> The Selection of appropriate assistive technology and AIM