Tangible Aide Student Eligibility

The AIM Library receives funding to purchase TAs from the American Printing House for the Blind(APH) for legally blind students only. Students who do not meet the definition of legal blindness may still borrow TAs from the AIM Library, but are limited to what we have in our existing inventory. Please remember that LEA's can at any time purchase directly from APH, for any student, regardless of acuity.
Please call (800) 223-1839 to request an APH catalog.

Once the student has been properly registered, the TVI submits the request form. A request form MUST be submitted for all materials requested and signed by a TVI. This ensures the Library that the proper items are being requested per the students needs.

Any student resident in the Commonwealth with special educational needs in regard to vision, as determined by TEAM decision, ages 3 to 22 (or to the age a high school diploma is attained, i.e. college students are not eligible) can be eligible for services. Districts wishing to access the AIM Library must coordinate all paperwork and requests for materials through a Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). The specialized instructional materials available can only be assessed, deemed essential, and administered by a TVI.

Once a local special education team evaluation has been completed, and special needs in regard to vision are written into the student's I.E.P, a TVI may submit the required documents to register the student with the AIM Library. For the purposes of Federal Funding, the following documents must be filed with the AIM Library as evidence of the student's educational program and visual acuity:

1-Student Registration Form, to provide basic identifying information about the student. This needs to be completed by a teacher of the visually impaired. Each time a TVI acquires a new student, an updated form must be submitted.

2-Medical Eye Report, or equivalent signed statement, with acuity, diagnosis and prognosis, to be completed by the child's eye care professional. This form must be updated every three years. Exemptions would be for students with a proven and documented non-changing eye condition.

3-Parental Release, to be signed by parent or guardian, to allow the AIM Library to exchange pertinent information with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, American Printing House for the Blind, Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic, and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

4- Written Education Plan Assurance, In order for students to be eligible to borrow materials from the AIM Library, A Written Education Plan (such as an IEP, a 504, or any other written action plan) must be on file with the school where the student is attending in the event that any audit requires evidence of the student's educational program.

To ensure student confidentiality, these Written Education Plans (IEP, 504, etc) are no longer to be sent to the AIM Library. What does need to be sent to the AIM Library is the following:

Written Education Plan Assurance Form (WEPA). The AIM Library WEPA Form needs to be signed by the Special Education Director and submitted by January 30th each year for every student seeking to borrow materials.

Original WEPA Forms ( faxes will not be accepted) need to be mailed to the AIM Library:

Massachusetts Accessible Instructional Materials Library
3 Randolph Street
Canton, Ma 02021

Requesting Tangible Aids
Once the student has been properly registered, the TVI may submit a Materials Request Form with all the pertinent information. A request form MUST be submitted for all materials requested and signed by a teacher of the visually impaired. This ensures the Library that the proper items are being requested per the students needs. The request forms need to be filled out completely. Please do not forget ZIP CODE.

No items will be shipped from the Library without the proper paperwork.

Tangible Aids requests are processed all year long.

One of each item per student.

Returns
Please return any materials that you are no longer using. As we intend to circulate and utilize our inventory to it's fullest extent