The definition of AEM has evolved to include both print- and tech-based materials. In this section, you will find information and resources to help you procure accessible formats for both kinds of AEM.

For digital materials, you will find the following to help you ensure the materials you procure are accessible from the start:

• Five Things Educators Can Do to Buy Accessible: a one-page document with the top five guidelines educators can follow to ensure accessibility is considered in all purchasing decisions for digital materials.
• Guidance for SEA and LEA Purchasing: recommended contract and purchase order language for both print and digital materials, as well as suggestions for requesting accessibility information.
• Is It Accessible? Questions to Ask: a set of question for evaluating the accessibility of digital materials in accordance to the four POUR principles embedded into the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). 

For print materials, you will find the following:

• Need for AEM: a starting point for considering whether a student needs materials in a specialized format based on his or her ability to gain information from standard print materials. 
• Selection of AEM: a set of checkpoints for selecting the appropriate specialized formats that will need to be acquired for an individual student. 
• Acquisition of Specialized Formats: a summary of the five basic sources of specialized formats, as well as guidance on their selection based on copyright criteria and eligibility under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• AEM Guide to AMPs: information about the three major accessible media producers (AMPs) that provide specialized formats for print, American Printing House for the Blind (APH), Bookshare, and Learning Ally.

If you still have questions after reviewing the resources in this section, contact us at the AEM Center. We are happy to help!