What are APH Quota Funds?
APH (American Printing House for the Blind) Quota Funds are an annual federal appropriation specifically allocated for students who are blind, visually impaired or deafblind in the United States. Each state receives an allotment based on the number of qualifying students and the per capita rate.
In Texas, TEA is the Ex Officio Trustee (EOT); TSBVI manages the statewide system of ordering, distributing, and repairing instructional equipment and materials purchased from APH with federal quota funds.
APH materials obtained with quota funds are the property of the state of Texas and are loaned to districts at no cost for use by qualifying students.
Process for Requesting APH Materials with Federal Quota Funds in Texas
To ensure that your request is processed correctly, please use the proper forms for requesting APH materials. Only items requested using the correct form will be ordered. If you have any questions about the ordering process, please don’t hesitate to contact our team.
High-Cost Technology Items and Returns: Carrie Gillespie – [email protected]
General Items, Fusion Licenses and Repairs: Suzanne Slade – [email protected]
- Identify Eligible Items: Determine which items qualify for quota funds by visiting The APH Shop.
- Complete and Submit Forms: Fill out and submit the necessary request forms.
- General Items
- Use the APH Product Request Form
- Up to 10 catalog products per form; request quantities ≤10 each
- One form per district/charter school
- Fusion Licenses
- Use the APH Fusion License Request Form
- One form per district/charter school/Homeschool
- Request license quantities ≤10 each
- High Cost Technology
- Use the APH High Cost Technology Request Form
- One form per high-cost item per student
- After an initial request for high-cost technology, a TSBVI Outreach Consultant will follow up to gather additional eligibility information. This follow-up will include a request to submit a High Cost Technology Justification Form.
- General Items
- All non-consumable APH items remain state property and must be returned when items are no longer needed by students: See Return Procedures
Repairs
Process for loaned APH High Cost Technology items that are damaged and are in need of repair.
- Contact Suzanne Slade – [email protected] with the following information:
- District/Charter/Homeschool Information
- Item Needing Repair
- Serial Number
- Description of the Problem
- TSBVI Outreach Staff will initiate repair with APH
- If a student is in need of an immediate replacement device, TSBVI staff will…
- Check warehouse availability
- Check Tech Loan for temporary replacement
- If all options are exhausted a new device may be requested by submitting a APH High Cost Technology Request Form.
Returns
At the beginning or end of each school year or any time throughout the year, if a loaned APH High Cost Technology item is no longer needed for a student, please complete the following return procedures to allow for redistribution of items.