Iowa’s AEAs provide comprehensive Braille services to support students who are blind or visually impaired and ensure their equitable access to educational materials. Services include transcription of instructional resources into Braille, production of tactile graphics and consultation with educators to support the integration of Braille literacy in the classroom.
Districts should order directly from Iowa's AEAs; they should not have an AEA employee order on behalf of the district or a teacher.
Districts will be charged directly for all products created and any services ordered. An invoice will be sent after the order is completed.
If UPS/U.S. mail is required for shipping, districts will cover that expense and will be invoiced accordingly.
Braille Transcription
Braille transcription services are provided for students who are blind or visually impaired by a Library of Congress-certified Braillist.
Ordering Instructions
Instructions for ordering can be found on this page. (Braille is ordered from Heartland AEA.)
Large Printing
Our team is equipped to produce high-quality, customized materials designed specifically for students with low vision or unique visual processing needs.
One of the features of this service is our ability to produce dual-format materials. We can create documents that feature large print and matching Braille side-by-side. This allows educators to support students by giving them the option of both large print and Braille materials while still using their remaining vision.
We work with the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) to ensure the highest level of accuracy and quality. Through this partnership, our staff can access original digital files provided by book publishers. These files are downloaded into Microsoft Word, where specialized templates are used to ensure no content is lost or misinterpreted during the conversion process.
Large print materials are available in a hard copy print version or digital format for use on tablets and digital devices, both of which can be customized for students. If physical copies are required, production and material costs will incur an additional fee.
AIM/AEM Scanning
Books and educational materials can be converted to .pdf digital files. It presents printed or electronic text on the computer screen with added audible and visual accessibility. The books will then be shared via Google Drive or CD.
Ordering Instructions
Schools must own the copyrighted books and assign a book to each student who is using an alternative format.
The scanned files must be used exclusively for students who have an identified disability documented on an IEP or 504 accommodation plan.
The files must not be reproduced or distributed.
Book bindings will be removed for scanning and will be replaced with alternative binding.
Send the materials to be scanned on a Heartland AEA van. Include a purchase order if required by your district.
Fees
Item | Cost |
|---|---|
Cost per print page | $4 |
Cost per Braille sheet for reprint items | $2 |
AIM/AEM scanning | $35 per hour |
Large print services & other hourly Braille services | $35 per hour |
Rush fee | Requests with a turnaround time of 5 business days or less are considered a rush and will include a 25% rush fee |
Questions?
Do you have any questions or need additional support? Contact us at brailleservices@iowaaea.org.