ACCESS TO INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:

ONGOING EFFORTS!

Ellyn Ross

The annual fall meeting of the AFB Textbook and Instructional Materials Solutions Forum was held in Louisville , Kentucky on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 , just prior to the American Printing House for the Blind Annual Meeting.  Mary Ann Siller, Director, AFB National Education Program, once again organized and facilitated an informative and productive meeting!  Topics included updates on critical legislation and associated projects focusing on improving access to instructional materials for our students with visual impairment. 

Participants at the Solutions Forum meeting were updated on the status of the provisions of the Instructional Materials Accessibility Act (IMAA).  Although previously pursued as independent legislation, provisions of the IMAA are now included as part of both the U.S. House (H.R. 1350) and the U.S. Senate (S. 1248) versions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2003 (reauthorization of IDEA).  H.R. 1350 has been passed; S. 1248, just filed by Senator Judd Gregg (NH) (HELP Committee version) on November 3, 2003 , has not yet gone before the full Senate for a vote.  Because Congress plans to adjourn the first session of the 108^th Congress by Thanksgiving, it is certainly possible that this legislation will not be on the agenda until the second (final) session of the 108^th Congress which begins in January.

Although H.R. 1350 includes a national instructional materials standard to be developed for all publishers’ (electronic) files, it does not address the need for an access center/repository to house the files—an aspect that is critical if our students are to receive instructional materials on time.  Both of these provisions, however, are included in S. 1248.  In addition, S. 1248:  makes a distinction between orientation and mobility and travel training instruction; specifies that socialization and independent living skills, orientation and mobility, and assistive technology skills should receive special consideration in the development of the IEP; and clarifies the relationship between publishers and state/local educational agencies to ensure that students with disabilities receive their textbooks on time.  Thus, the language of S. 1248 is more consistent with changes that would be beneficial for our students.

How can you help?  Make contact with your senators and representatives.  Let’s thank our senators for their leadership and explain why we need to keep the provisions for access to textbooks and other issues in the language of S. 1248.  Contact your representatives and explain why these four critical elements from S. 1248 must be added to the final IDEA legislation:

Sec. 602 (25) ensuring that “orientation and mobility” and travel training instruction are recognized as distinct disciplines in the IDEA definition of “related services;”

Sec. 612 (a)(22) and Sec. 613 (a)(6) clarifying the relationship between state/local educational agencies and publishers to ensure that required textbooks get to students with disabilities on time;

Sec. 614(d)(3)(B)(iii)(II) ensuring that socialization and independent living skills, orientation and mobility, and assistive technology skills receive special consideration in the development of an IEP for a child who is blind or visually impaired;

Sec. 675 creating both a national standard and a central repository for publishers’ electronic files to facilitate efficient access by educational agencies and producers of accessible materials.

This certainly is an exciting time for our field and a chance to make sure that IDEA includes language that will result in positive changes for students who are blind or visually impaired!  In addition to making contact with your representatives and senators, you are encouraged to stay informed about the reauthorization of IDEA by accessing either the AFB website at:  www.afb.org/education.asp or the website of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired at:  www.tsbvi.edu.  If you are interested in information about how you can become involved in the ongoing activities of the AFB Textbook and Instructional Materials Solutions Forum, contact Mary Ann Siller at siller@afb.net.