BILL WOULD GET BOOKS TO BLIND STUDENTS MORE QUICKLY

The following information appeared in Education Daily.

By Ted Gotsch

Vol. 35, No. 80 Monday, April 29, 2002

Jessie Kirchner knows firsthand the difficulties blind students face while trying to get adaptive textbooks for their classes.

The Guilford, Conn. junior took most of her high school geometry course without the benefit of a braille textbook, and just this month received a blank tape instead of the audio version of a history reading assignment due.

Districts have been hampered by the months it takes to produce braille textbooks, as well as the cost, which can run upwards of $2,000. But that could change if a new bill sponsored by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Rep. Thomas Petri, R-Wis., becomes law.

The "Instructional Materials Accessibility Act" introduced in Congress Wednesday, would require states to ensure that braille and electronic learning materials are made available to blind students in an equally timely manner as they are for their sighted peers.

And that, Jessie said, would make a real difference for the visually impaired. "I'm excited for all the kids… who this will help," she said at a Capitol Hill press conference.

The legislation marks a cooperative effort between advocates for the blind, lawmakers and the publishing industry. It would create a national uniform electronic format so that school textbooks can more easily be converted into braille.

Publishers would have to submit an electronic file of all textbooks to a newly-created central depository, so that states, districts, publishers and other groups can more quickly acquire the materials. The federal government would provide $1 million a year to pay for depository's administrative costs.

The measure would also provide $5 million a year in grants for the next five years to help districts cover braille text printing expenses. Besides the backing of Dodd and Petri -the vice chairman of the House's education committee- the legislation is co-sponsored by three senators and 41 House members.