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The following information was prepared for the AFB Solutions Forum.
From the Results of the National Survey Conducted by the American Foundation for the Blind Textbooks and Instructional Materials Solutions Forum's Production Work Group.
Dr. Robert Wall, Vanderbilt University and Mary Ann Siller, AFB
February 2002
The importance of literacy instruction in braille for visually impaired students was formally recognized in the 1997 regulations for IDEA. However, the regulations do not guarantee that students who use braille will receive the quantity and quality of braille materials needed to access their general education curricula. As IDEA requires a free and appropriate public education, the provision of braille materials becomes a critical issue. Access to textbooks and materials related to information discussed in class is essential to the education of all students, including those who require materials in formats other than regular print. While state agencies, volunteer groups, and a variety of for-profit companies produce alternate media textbooks and instructional materials, the actual systems used and their advantages and disadvantages are not generally known.
The AFB Textbooks and Instructional Materials Solutions Forum's Production Work Group conducted a national survey to determine the state of special material production and delivery across the country. Of 42 states responding, 21 were represented by the director of the state's Instructional Media Center or Instructional Resource Center (often a central point for the production and distribution of braille and large print materials).
Six systems of handling special materials in a state were identified:
The majority of states indicated they are operating under a depository (n=12) or depository/producer (n=22) model. Regardless of the model used, there was a common preference for having a centralized system with the capacity to store materials for reuse. Commonly cited problems were a lack of funding and staff and political infighting that hampered the system's operation.
The preference for a central storehouse for materials is demonstrated by the fact that, across the states, 23 percent of braille materials and 30 percent of large-print materials came from such facilities. The survey showed that 56 percent of braille materials and 45 percent of large-print materials used in the states are purchased from state agencies, vendors, contracted producers, or APH. Employees or volunteers produce 16 percent of the braille materials and 15 percent of the large-print materials. Only audiotapes have a primary source, with 73 percent of all audio materials coming from RFB&D.
For those states with the capacity to produce materials, braille and large-print materials are approximately evenly divided between internal production, in-state contracts, and out-of-state contracts. Braille is produced from paper copies 90 percent of the time and from electronic files only 7 percent of the time. Large print is produced from paper copies 100 percent of the time. In addition, 96 percent of all braille and 100 percent of all large-print materials are produced in paper copies for distribution. This indicates that states generally are not availing themselves of current technology and publishers' electronic files for the production and distribution of materials. Also, 69 percent of the respondents indicated their states did not currently receive publishers' files. Only 29 percent indicated they had the expertise to use electronic files in production.
While several respondents decried delays in special materials production caused by late requests for texts, few repercussions were reported from requests made after established deadlines. Consequences generally cited for late submissions were that the texts would be late reaching the students. Of all materials (produced and otherwise acquired), 79 percent of braille materials and 88 percent of large-print materials arrived on time. However, this means that approximately one in five braille books and one in 10 large-print books arrived after the start of the school year or after a student needs the text in class.
Professionals in many states noted major systemic problems in the production and delivery of special materials. The most commonly cited solutions for these problems are the increased use of technology and recognition of braille transcribing as a viable career option. Increasing the number of transcribers and the ease with which they can produce texts would help to eliminate delays and shortages in material production.
Issues yet to be fully addressed include the high expense of producing specialized materials, the shortage of qualified braille transcribers, and the lack of a centralized agency to coordinate efforts among states. The passage of the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act (H.R. 4582 and S. 2246) should provide the impetus needed to examine major issues and determine viable solutions.
The Act will improve access to printed instructional materials used by elementary and secondary school students who are blind, as well as other students who have print disabilities. This will be achieved through the creation of a system for acquiring and distributing publishers' electronic files of textbooks and other instructional materials, so that these materials can be made available in braille, synthesized speech, digital text, digital audio, or large print.
Mason, C., & Davidson, R. (2000). National plan for training personnel to serve children with blindness and low vision. Reston, Virginia: Council for Exceptional Children.
American Foundation for the Blind
National Education Program
260 Treadway Plaza
Dallas, Texas 75235
214-352-7222
Fax: 214-352-3214
Complete Analysis of the AFB Solutions Forum Survey of the Production and Delivery of Textbooks www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?kitid=103&collectionid=8 and www.tsbvi.edu/textbooks/afb/index.htm.
American Foundation for the Blind
National Literacy Center
100 Peachtree Street, Suite 620
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-525-2303
Fax: 404-659-6957
For more information, or to order an AFB Press Publication, visit the AFB Bookstore or call: 1-800-232-3044 or Fax: 412-741-0609.
In keeping with AFB's mission to achieve equality of access to information for people who are blind or visually impaired, this document is available, upon request, in one or more of the following formats: electronic file, braille, large print, and audio recording.
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