Ex Officio Trustee Handbook: A Manual for Ex Officio Trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind

2013 Edition

Table of Contents

Dear Ex Officio Trustees:

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) has a rich history of service to blind and visually impaired students throughout the United States. Founded in 1858, APH is the oldest organization of its kind in the U.S. and is the largest organization in the world that researches, designs, and manufactures products for blind and visually impaired people. As an Ex Officio Trustee (EOT) of APH, you are charged with administering the funds allocated to each of your registered students under the Federal Quota Program. It is your responsibility to determine how those designated quota credits are used to purchase materials for educational programs. We hope that this booklet will give you the tools necessary to proceed with your important tasks.

After reviewing this information, please let us know if we can further assist you with the administration of the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind as it relates to the provision of services to your students and clients. The staff of APH is eager to work with you and to receive your feedback and suggestions to improve products and services.

We look forward to a long-term professional relationship with positive benefits for the students and clients we jointly serve.

Sincerely,

Tuck Tinsley III, Ed.D.
President
(800) 223-1839 Ext. 240
ttinsley@aph.org

Bob Brasher
Vice-President of Advisory Services and Research
(800) 223-1839 Ext. 369
bbrasher@aph.org

Janie Blome
Director, Field Services Department
(800) 223-1839 Ext. 367
jblome@aph.org

Cindy Amback
Field Services Specialist
(800) 223-1839 Ext. 257
camback@aph.org

Overview of the Act

An Overview of the Provision of Educational Materials Through an Act to Promote the Education of the Blind

An Idea Is Born

In the mid-1800s, when schools for the blind were being established in the United States, each school was responsible for embossing the books and manufacturing the appliances necessary for the instruction of its own pupils. School leaders soon recognized this as a great waste of effort and resources and saw the need to consolidate efforts to provide embossed materials for blind students. Dempsey Sherrod, a blind activist from Mississippi, convinced Kentucky leaders to create a centralized national printing house in Louisville in 1858 to meet the combined demands of the nation's schools.

By this federal Act, Congress created a permanent annual appropriation for the specific purpose of "manufacturing and furnishing books and other materials specifically adapted for instruction" of blind students in the United States and its Territories. One of the first laws enacted by Congress to support the education of students with disabilities, it has become a landmark. The Act and its resulting programs administered through the American Printing House for the Blind make specifically developed educational materials more available and more effective today than ever before.

The Role of the American Printing House for the Blind

Initially, APH was chartered to emboss tactile books and to produce simple tangible apparatus. Today, APH continues this proud tradition by producing hundreds of textbooks in braille, enlarged type, and large print and by researching, designing, and manufacturing an extensive catalog of educational aids, tools, and supplies.

Federal Quota Program

The system through which these specialized materials are distributed is known as the Federal Quota Program. Through it, textbooks and aids are provided free to eligible blind students in educational settings that range from early intervention programs for visually impaired infants to rehabilitation for elders who have age-related vision loss, from center-based and residential school programs to the regular classroom.

How does the Federal Quota Program work?

As prescribed by the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind, Congress makes an annual appropriation for the provision of the special Federal Quota materials. This appropriation is divided by the total number of eligible students in educational programs on the first Monday of the preceding January and of adult clients enrolled in rehabilitation and/or vocational programs during the preceding calendar year. This division results in a per capita amount of money that is then multiplied by the number of eligible students in each Federal Quota account. The resulting total is credited to each respective account, thus establishing each agency's annual "quota" funds to be used for the purchase of APH materials.

By law, no part of the appropriation can be used for the erection or leasing of buildings. The Printing House, out of its own funds, provides the buildings necessary for the production of materials supplied through the Federal Quota Program.

Who is eligible?

The determination of eligible students and the distribution of materials available to them on Federal Quota follows a distinctive and very effective model.

In order to determine who is eligible for Federal Quota materials, an annual national census is taken. The effective date of this registration is the first Monday in January of each year for infants, preschool, and school-aged students. Adult students must have been enrolled in a documented instructional program for a minimum of twelve weeks during the preceding calendar year.

For students to be eligible to participate in the Federal Quota Program, they MUST fulfill the following requirements:

Several factors to remember are:

How are eligible students counted?

Ex Officio Trustees are responsible for collecting, compiling, and submitting to APH, via the Student Registration System, or SRS, Web interface, the annual census of eligible students.

For each student, the following information must be reported:

APH reviews the updated data in the SRS database for possible errors and duplicate students. Any Trustee whose data contains possible errors and/or duplicate students is provided a report with this information. The Trustee and/or the assistant then corrects the discrepancies and forwards the reports back to APH, via e-mail, so that the corrections to the data may be entered into the SRS database by the Field Services Support Specialist.

In the final stage of the census each year, Ex Officio Trustees are responsible for saving their final data and reports, as well as submitting to APH an original, signed, and dated Certificate of Attendance.

The appropriation from Congress is divided by the total number of eligible students, thus determining the per capita Federal Quota allocation. The allocation is announced when APH is notified by the Federal government and Certificates of Federal Quota Allocation are then distributed to each Trustee.

Borrowing from the Next Year's Allocation

On May 1st of each year, APH allows Federal Quota accounts to begin borrowing against the next year's allocation by up to 50% of the current year's allocation. If the 50% allowance is reached prior to September 30th, orders are stopped until the new Federal Quota fiscal year begins October 1st.

What is available through Federal Quota?

A wide variety of specially designed and adapted materials are available from APH. Products are available in each area of the core curriculum and expanded core curriculum, including:

Quota products can be found in our catalogs and on our shopping site, http://shop.aph.org. Products are available on quota unless otherwise stated.

APH develops products not commercially available

New and adapted materials are developed at APH by the Department of Research. The ideas for products come from the field as well as from APH staff. As these ideas are accepted for development, all are judged on the following three criteria: relevance, research, and utility.

The eligibility of specific products for Federal Quota funds is determined by APH's Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC).

The identification of a needed product that is not commercially available leads to research and the development of a prototype and to field testing/expert review that refines effectiveness and safety. At this point, the Research Department turns over the product specifications to manufacturing. Once the product is manufactured, it is inventoried and made available for sale.

Specialized Field Services

Specialized advisory and consultant services are also provided through the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. A highly knowledgeable staff provides assistance to all who provide materials and services to learners who are blind or visually impaired.

This specialized division of APH is the Department of Field Services. The role of Field Services is:

Field Services personnel conduct training sessions, presentations, and workshops in availability, teaching methodology, and prescriptive use of the specially-designed materials. These sessions may take place on-site or by webcast/podcast.

Responsibilities of Ex Officio Trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind

Administrators of Federal Quota

For each residential school for the blind, state department of education, or agency for the blind that participates in the Federal Quota Program, an Ex Officio Trustee of the American Printing House for the Blind must be designated. Each Ex Officio Trustee is entrusted with the administration of the Federal Quota Program within his or her system. The current directory of Ex Officio Trustees may be reviewed from the APH website by clicking the following link: www.aph.org/fedquotapgm/trustees.html.

Who Appoints Ex Officio Trustees?

The Ex Officio Trustee for a Federal Quota account is appointed by the head of each respective organization: head of the state department of education, superintendent of a residential school for the blind, or the executive officer of other agencies serving the blind. Forms for designation of the Ex Officio Trustee are available through APH and in the Appendix/Forms section of this handbook. Prompt notification to APH of any changes in Trusteeship is essential to ensure continuing service.

Federal Quota Census: The Registration of Blind Pupils for Purposes of Administering the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind

As previously indicated, the Federal Quota census, or "registration", records students who are eligible for materials through the Federal Quota Program. The annual appropriation made by Congress is divided by the total number of eligible students in the United States and its outlying areas. This determines the per capita Federal Quota allocation for the ensuing fiscal year which begins on October 1 each year.

The Ex Officio Trustee is responsible for collecting, compiling, and submitting to APH the annual registration of eligible students enrolled in educational programs on the first Monday of January. The Ex Officio Trustee is also responsible for approving and signing the official certificates relating to the Federal Quota Program. The Ex Officio Trustee's signature—not a stamp—is required on these forms. Prompt responses and attention to deadlines are essential in order for APH to make monies available.

Federal Quota Orders

Orders for materials to be purchased with Federal Quota funds are to be approved and signed by the Trustee and forwarded to the American Printing House for the Blind, where a credit allocation has been established. Each Ex Officio Trustee determines how quota funds are used to purchase materials for educational programs for students or adults who are visually impaired under his or her jurisdiction.

Management of Federal Quota Funds and the Dissemination of Information Regarding APH Products and Services

The judicious use of Federal Quota funds in the dissemination of APH products, as well as information regarding products and services, are important roles played by Ex Officio Trustees. Examples of efficiently leveraging federal funds might include:

Retention and Disposal of APH Products Purchased with Federal Quota Funds

APH products purchased with Federal Quota funds remain the property of the respective Federal Quota account and the responsibility of the Ex Officio Trustee.

Forecasting

Forecasting and storing products to meet the future needs of your students is encouraged. APH can assist you in forecasting by providing documents with suggested products for various age and ability groups. By forecasting, you avoid the last minute rush of orders. (See http://shop.aph.org for listings.)

Communication

The channeling, dissemination, and processing of all APH correspondence, documents, announcements, inquiries, etc. are to be handled under the direction of the Ex Officio Trustee.

APH is eager to assist Ex Officio Trustees in communicating information to consumers, professionals, and parents.

The Field Services Department can provide:

APH News

The APH News is distributed to all Ex Officio Trustees and, separately, to a list of 3,000+ subscribers. It includes announcements of new products, revised products, training opportunities, and general information about what is going on at APH. We encourage all Ex Officio Trustees to disseminate the electronic version of the APH News link to all service providers.

Interested parties can subscribe to the APH News!

  1. Create an email to aphinfo-request@iglou.com
  2. Leave the subject blank
  3. Type the word 'subscribe' (without any quote marks) in the body of the message
  4. Send it

Facebook

We encourage Ex Officio Trustees and their staff to "Like" our Facebook page. Trustees are encouraged to post news items helpful to their fellow Trustees on the APH Facebook page. Find us at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Printing-House-for-the-Blind/122879984400686.

EOT (Ex Officio Trustee) Listserv

It is highly recommended that all Ex Officio Trustees participate in the EOT listserv. This listserv provides an opportunity to share information with each other, ask questions, pose hypothetical situations, and connect with other Ex Officio Trustees.

To subscribe, anyone can send a blank email to: Eot-request@tech.aph.org. Place the word subscribe in the subject line of your email.

Questions about the listserv should be directed to:
Jonn Paris-Salb, Administrator
Ex Officio Trustee, California Department of Education
Clearinghouse for Specialized Media & Translations
1430 N Street, Room 3207
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-323-2202
Fax: 916-323-9732
Email: jparissalb@cde.ca.gov

Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Ex Officio Trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind is held in Louisville, Kentucky each fall. The advice and counsel of Trustees is crucial to the company; therefore, participation is a responsibility. APH can provide documentation about the importance of Annual Meeting that EOTs can use as a part of requesting travel to Louisville for the meeting.

Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to learn the latest information about APH products and plans for the future. It enables Ex Officio Trustees to network and share successful practices.

Highlights of Annual Meeting

Each Annual Meeting includes:

Committees

Two standing committees, made up of Ex officio Trustees, act in an advisory capacity to APH. These are the Educational Products Advisory Committee (EPAC) and the Educational Services Advisory Committee (ESAC). Committee members, who serve rotating terms, are elected at the APH Annual Meeting. Meetings of these committees are held each spring and just prior to the Annual Meeting in the fall. An ad hoc nominating committee is appointed before each Annual Meeting for the purpose of nominating a chairperson and members for each of the Advisory Committees.

Leaders to Leaders Initiative
Advocates for the Act of 1879

The federal appropriation that APH has received each year since 1879 includes funding to provide educational tools and materials to blind and visually impaired students in grades K-12 registered with APH through the Federal Quota Program. Since there are more requests each year for fewer federal funds, it is important that we work together to ensure that this appropriation continues in the years and decades to come. We should advocate for our field and communicate with all members of the U.S. Congress to help them understand how appropriation funds are spent, and why this support is critical to academic and vocational achievements and career opportunities for the students we serve. It is especially important that we communicate with those members directly involved in recommending APH funding levels each year to the full Congress.

At the core of APH efforts to educate members of Congress, we currently implement a program in which Public Affairs Department staff travel to Washington throughout each year and meet with key congressional and staff members to discuss the APH appropriation. While this strategy has been effective, we need to strengthen these efforts through your participation.

The Leaders to Leaders initiative is an effort to broaden and perpetuate congressional support for the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind of 1879 by utilizing the knowledge and expertise of our Ex Officio Trustees (EOTs). While members of Congress are receptive to APH staff, they are interested in hearing from you, too—their local constituents. Members of Congress need to know that students who have a vision loss have unique, specific learning needs. Working in partnership with the professionals in your programs, and supported with the specially designed products from the American Printing House for the Blind, we prepare students to meet the challenges of today's classroom and workplace.

Through the Leaders to Leaders advocacy program, EOTs are asked to communicate annually with their senators and representatives in the U.S. Congress. Public Affairs staff provides each of you with the names of current congressional members representing your state once each year, along with specific suggestions on contacting and meeting with these officials. Staff will personally contact each EOT whose senator(s) or representative(s) serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHSE)—in both the House and the Senate. These subcommittees are directly responsible for recommending funding levels for education programs.

EOTs are not asked to request funding for the APH appropriation. Rather, your role is to:

Each APH Ex Officio Trustee will be sent a personalized packet of information on the Leaders to Leaders program and the advocacy steps we ask you to take on behalf of the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind of 1879.

We want to assist you in your efforts to build relationships with federal officials. Coordinating our message to provide policy makers with reliable information will positively affect their policy decisions, so when you communicate with your legislator send copies to one of the staff members below.

Three Public Affairs staff members currently work on federal government relations and the Leaders to Leaders initiative. Your comments, questions, and suggestions are welcomed.

Departmental Information

Advisory Services and Research

The term "Advisory Services" refers to the informational, consultative, and administrative services provided by APH staff to support Ex Officio Trustees in their administration of the Federal Quota Program. This includes but is not limited to: communications to Trustees; field work and presentations; implementation of the Federal Quota census; catalogs, brochures, and product literature; referral services and technical support for instructional and technological questions.

"Research" refers to both the educational and technical research efforts of APH. This includes, but is not limited to development of products in the areas of: technology, low vision, multiple disabilities, tactile graphics, braille, cortical visual impairment, early childhood, emerging literacy, core curriculum, adult life, and others.

Advisory Services and Research consists of the following departments: Accessible Tests, Accessible Textbooks, Communications, Field Services, Research, and Resource Services.

A staff directory for each individual department is included in this section of the handbook and on the APH website at www.aph.org

Bob Brasher, Vice President of Advisory Services and Research
Phone: 502/899-2369
bbrasher@aph.org
Contact for information regarding APH policies for products, services, and advisory committees

Accessible Tests Department

APH's Accessible Tests Department is committed to making tests and related materials accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. APH is prepared to assist with all phases of test accessibility from item development and bias review through production, shipping, and product support. Accessible Tests staff works with customers on a contract basis, and also receives federal funds in order to identify and address high-priority needs of legally blind students of less than college level and their direct service providers. The fax number for Accessible Tests is 502-899-2219.

Services Available Include:

Accessible Tests Staff (Director, then alphabetically)

Debbie Willis, Director, Accessible Tests Department
Phone: 502-899-2311
dwillis@aph.org
Contact for test-related contract work or consultations, collaborative efforts, presentations, workshops, test adaptations, accommodations, general information on a range of assessment topics, information in response to RFPs for potential test contracts, and test-related needs of the field.

Dena Garrett, Accessible Media Editor
Phone: 502-899-2378
dgarrett@aph.org
Contact for discussion of braille formats, editing and transcription of test items for presentation in braille/tactile format, and general information.

Priscilla Knight, Tests Editor
Phone: 502-899-2295
pknight@aph.org
Contact for information on test review and editing; preparation of transcriber notes and Test Administration Notes; and questions regarding literary braille.

Kristopher Scott, Test Editor
Phone: 502-899-2316
kscott@aph.org
Contact for discussion of item bias or accessibility review, editing for large print, recorded, and braille formats, and general information

Carolyn Zierer, Test Editor
Phone: 502-899-2389
czierer@aph.org
Contact for discussion of item bias or accessibility review, editing for large print, recorded, and braille formats, and general information.

Accessible Textbooks Department

The Accessible Textbooks Department (ATIC) of the American Printing House for the Blind responds to the textbook needs of blind and visually impaired students by delivering custom-produced accessible textbooks in a variety of media in a timely manner.

APH is convinced that this effort is not only essential if we are to meet the needs of visually impaired students, but that it is within the role and responsibility of our mission.

This department processes all new textbook orders, braille and large print, including ordering all print textbooks for customer's orders.

Braille Textbooks

APH Braille Textbooks are available on demand by completing an ATIC textbook order form (available in the Forms section of this handbook). Primary emphasis is placed on math and science texts, however all subject matters are considered. For more details contact the Accessible Textbook Department or visit our website at www.aph.org/atic/

APH Textbooks are also available for download on the APH File Repository. Accompanying graphics are available for purchase.

Large Print Textbooks

The department processes the large print textbook orders for both the APH Traditional Enlargement Process and the APH Large Print Process.

The Traditional APH Enlargement process is printed on 11 1/2" x 14" paper in full color. The book is exactly like the original print textbook with text enlarged to a 14 point font.

The APH Large Print process results in a large print textbook in standard textbook size with a variety of fonts, font sizes (18 point minimum), and in full color.

This process takes into consideration research collected and conducted by APH, including the APH Research Department's Large Print Guidelines for Optimal Readability, and was field tested by the University of Louisville.

Large print textbooks can be found in the Louis Database at www.aph.org. The catalog numbers for braille textbooks begin with "A-B" while textbooks available in large print begin with "A-L, L- or L-C."

ATIC Staff (Director, then alphabetically)

Jane E. Thompson, Director, Accessible Textbook Department (ATIC)
Phone: 502/899-2370
jthompson@aph.org
Contact regarding questions about on-demand textbooks in braille and large print, production methods for textbooks, training opportunities for transcribers and for requests for presentations on ATIC or textbook preparation and specifications.

Nancy J. Bayens, Administrative Assistant
502-895-2405, ext. 379
nbayens@aph.org
Contact for scheduling meetings, contacting ATIC staff members, accounts payable, shipping questions, status of textbook orders, and customer service

Adam Clark, Tactile Graphics Designer
502-895-2405, ext. 479
aclark@aph.org
Manipulates electronic files for the new large print process, proofreads large print textbooks and enhances images.

Tom Dunn, Prototype Developer
502-895-2405, ext. 488
tdunn@aph.org
Manipulates electronic files for the new large print process, proofreads large print textbooks and enhances images.

Dena K. Garrett, Accessible Media Editor
502-899-2378
dgarrett@aph.org
Contact for questions regarding editing tests and textbooks, braille translation software and braille formats. Dena specializes in mathematics, science, and tests transcriptions.

Jayma L. Hawkins, Accessible Media Editor
502-899-2372
jhawkins@aph.org
Contact for questions regarding editing textbooks, braille translation software and braille formats. Jayma specializes in history, geography, nutrition, and literature transcriptions.

Michael Haynes, Large Print Textbook Coordinator
502-895-2405, ext. 479
mhaynes@aph.org and largeprint@aph.org
Contact regarding on-demand large print and enlarged print textbook orders, estimated costs and delivery dates of large print textbooks, publisher print copies, and status of large print and enlarged print textbook orders.

April Hedges, Prototype Developer
502-895-2405, ext. 474
ahedges@aph.org
Manipulates electronic files for the new large print process, quality reviews all files prior to going to the production floor.

Rodger Miller, Prototype Database Coordinator
502-895-2405, ext. 473
rmiller@aph.org
Maintains large print server and software; manipulates electronic files for the new large print process, collects and distributes scanned and NIMAS files.

Jean Moore, Braille Textbook Coordinator
502-899-2371
jmoore@aph.org and atic@aph.org
Contact regarding on-demand braille textbook orders, ATIC transcribers, ATIC textbook lists, capacity for braille translation, quota forms for textbook requests, accounts payable for transcribers, and time lines and deadlines for textbook transcriptions.

DeAnna Morrison, Accessible Media Editor Trainee
502-899-2293
dmorrison@aph.org
Contact for questions regarding editing textbooks, braille translation software and braille formats. DeAnna specializes in literature, grammar, reading, braille formats and Duxbury software.

Yan Zhang, Tactile Graphics Designer
502-895-2405, ext. 471
yzhang@aph.org
Contact regarding questions about creating tactile graphics, tactile graphic production methods and software, collage graphics, electronic graphics, materials recommended for collage graphics for mass production and training opportunities.

Rosemarie Zinious, Accessible Media Editor
502-899-2377
rzinious@aph.org
Contact for questions regarding editing textbooks, braille translation software, and braille formats. Rose specializes in foreign language and science transcription, and proofreading.

Communications Department

Communications Mission Statement

To support the APH mission by creating materials in multiple media which effectively educate service providers and consumers about APH and APH's products and services.

About the Communications Department

The APH Communications Department creates promotional materials of all types, including catalogs, brochures, the APH News newsletter, the corporate Annual Report, the APH website, the online shopping site, APH social media pages, and much more. Most promotional pieces are produced in one or more accessible media: large print, braille, or electronic formats (HTML, text file, PDF, .brf).

The Communications Department is one of the departments presenting the APH Annual Meeting. Communications creates print, braille, and electronic meeting materials; signs; PowerPoints; videos; and displays. The Communications Department coordinates the audio/visual services at Annual Meeting.

Communications continues to develop the "Fred's Head from APH" blog created by and for people who are visually impaired and blind. Fred's Head contains searchable information on tips, techniques, products, services, resources, and much more. Communications continues to develop APH's social media presence, including pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.

Communications Staff (Director, then alphabetically)

Scott Blome, Director, Communications Department
502-899-2301
sblome@aph.org
Contact with comments about APH promotional materials, the APH website, APH shopping site, or APH social media sites.

Ricky Irvine, Website Associate
502-899-2391
rirvine@aph.org
Contact with comments or questions about APH online videos.

Stephanie Lancaster, Graphic Designer
502-899-2358
slancaster@aph.org
Contact with comments or questions about APH promotional materials.

Drew Lueken, Administrative Assistant
502-899-2366
alueken@aph.org
Contact with general questions about Communications.

Marissa Stalvey, Social Media Coordinator
502-899-2396
mstalvey@aph.org
Contact with questions or ideas for the Fred's Head blog, or our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr pages.

Malcolm Turner, Website Coordinator (Webmaster)
502-899-2398
mturner@aph.org
Contact with comments about the APH website.

Field Services

The term "Field Services" refers to the informational, consultative, and administrative services provided by APH staff to support Ex Officio Trustees in their administration of the Federal Quota Program. This includes but is not limited to:

Through Field Services, APH personnel are available to conduct training sessions, presentations, and workshops in availability, teaching methodology, and prescriptive use of APH products.

Field Services Staff: (Director, then alphabetically)

Janie Blome, Director, Field Services Department
Phone: 502-899-2367
jblome@aph.org
Contact for information regarding Federal Quota Program and census, presentations, National Instructional Partnership events, field services, and consultations.

Cynthia "Cindy" Amback, Field Services Support Specialist
Phone: 502-899-2257
camback@aph.org
Contact for assistance with Federal Quota Program and census, conference or exhibit invitations to promote APH products and services, and registration information for APH's Annual Meeting.

Bettye Barnes, Administrative Assistant
Phone: 502-899-2300
bbarnes@aph.org
Contact for Field Services information and assistance.

Maria Delgado, Field Services Representative
Phone: 502-899-2340
mdelgado@aph.org
Contact for training or demonstrations of technology products and APH web-based databases, including presentations via webcasts or hands-on training.

Michele Dutcher, Field Services Administrative Clerk I
Phone: 502-899-2235
mdutcher@aph.org
Contact for questions regarding products shipped for training and exhibits.

Will Evans, Products and Services Advisor
Phone: 502-899-2265
wevans@aph.org
Contact with suggestions for new products or for updates regarding existing products.

Kerry Isham, Field Services Representative
Phone: 502-899-2298
kisham@aph.org
Contact for presentations on APH products, product exhibitions, and training events; product videos and other training materials.

Artina Paris-Jones, Field Services Administrative Clerk I
Phone: 502-899-2368
aparis@aph.org
Contact to order APH catalogs and product brochures.

Mary Robinson, Administrative Clerk
Phone: 502-899-2280
mrobinson@aph.org
Contact regarding new product submission forms, information, and assistance.

Monica Turner, Field Services Representative
502-899-2291
mmturner@aph.org
Contact for presentations on APH products, product exhibitions, and training events centering on families.

Research

The Research Department is primarily a research and development (R&D) function for APH. After product ideas are submitted, Project Leaders conduct the preliminary background review of the product idea, provide the information to the Product Evaluation Team (PET) and the Product Advisory and Research Committee (PARC), and if approved by PARC, commence development activities, including field studies and/or expert reviews. The Project Leader has a variety of available resources, including staff from Technical Research, Research Assistants, and outside consultants. There are twelve primary areas of research: adult life, assessment, braille, core curriculum, cortical visual impairment, emergent literacy, early childhood, low vision, multiple disabilities, STEM, tactile graphics, and technology.

The Research Department section of the APH website contains information relating to ongoing research, requests for field study sites, surveys, software updates, APH Demo Download Center, links to scholarly work, and guidelines for large print and tactile graphics.

Research Staff (Director, then alphabetically):

Ralph Bartley, Ph.D., Director, Research Department
Phone: 502-899-2343
rbartley@aph.org
Contact for information regarding research and product development.

Charles "Burt" Boyer, Early Childhood Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2264
bboyer@aph.org
Contact regarding research and products relating to Early Childhood.

Katherine Corcoran, Model Maker
Phone: 502-899-2218
kcorcoran@aph.org
Contact regarding research relating to product prototypes or for technical explanations of materials and processes used to produce current products.

Andrew Dakin, Model Maker
Phone: 502-899-2208
adakin@aph.org
Contact regarding research relating to product prototypes or for technical explanations of materials and processes used to produce current products.

Terri Gilmore, Graphic Designer
Phone: 502-899-2359
tgilmore@aph.org
Contact regarding product design.

Frank Hayden, Technical Research Manager
Phone: 502-899-2376
fhayden@aph.org
Contact for assistance relating to product technical specifications and to report product concerns.

Barbara Henderson, Test and Assessment Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2328
bhenderson@aph.org
Contact for information on APH assessment products, computer-based testing, test adaptation, the Accessible Tests webpage, test-related needs of the field, survey results, presentations, workshops, resources, accommodations, general assessment questions and requests, consultations, collaborative efforts and department information.

Kate Herndon, Project Manager, Research
Phone: 502-899-2234
kherndon@aph.org
Contact for information regarding research and product development.

Rosanne Hoffman, STEM Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2292
rhoffmann@aph.org
Contact regarding research and products related to STEM.

Elaine Kitchel, Low Vision Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2313
ekitchel@aph.org
Contact regarding research and products relating to low vision.

Jeremy Ockerman, Grant Accounting Specialist
Phone: 502-899-2310
jockerman@aph.org
Contact regarding Research Department business issues.

Fred Otto, Tactile Graphics Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2317
fotto@aph.org
Contact regarding research and products relating to tactile graphics.

Tristan Gay Pierce, Multiple Disabilities Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2380
tpierce@aph.org
Contact regarding research and products relating to multiple disabilities, physical education, recreation, and leisure skills.

Karen J. Poppe, Tactile Graphics Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2322
kpoppe@aph.org
Contact regarding research and products relating to tactile graphics.

Tom Poppe, Model Maker
Phone: 502-899-2331
tpoppe@aph.org
Contact regarding research relating to product prototypes or for technical explanations of materials and processes used to produce current products.

Christine Roman Lantzy, Ph.D., CVI Project Leader
Phone: 412-559-4431   Fax: 724-443-0781
croman@cviresources.com
Contact regarding research and products relating to cortical visual impairment. Chris may also be contacted in writing at the following address:
CVI Resources
25 Deer Spring Lane
Allison Park, PA 15101

Larry Skutchan, Technology Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2314
lskutchan@aph.org
Contact for research and products related to technology software and hardware.

Susan Spicknall, Braille Literacy Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2325
sspicknall@aph.org
Contact regarding research and products related to Braille literacy.

Terri Terlau, Ph.D. Adult Life and Orientation and Mobility Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2381
tterlau@aph.org
Contact for research and products relating to adult life and orientation and mobility.

Suzette Wright, Emergent Literacy Project Leader
Phone: 502-899-2425
swright@aph.org
Contact for research and products relating to emergent literacy.

Resource Services

Resource Services provides a suite of databases, information resources and services to enable APH to carry out its mission and to support APH staff, APH Ex Officio Trustees, agencies and others. These include:

Contact Resource Services:

If you have problems or questions, APH Resource Services is happy to assist:

Resource Services: Phone: 800-223-1839, ext. 705 or 502-895-2405, ext. 705 E-mail: resource@aph.org Toll-free Fax: 888-353-4858 louis.aph.org

The APH File Repository — The APH File Repository's mission is to make files available for accessible media production (principally braille) for blind and visually impaired students. The repository is currently expanding to include other, student-ready formats, including APH Large Print digital files. The repository contains several thousand electronic files of textbooks, in a braille-ready, large print, or plain text file format, which can be downloaded to facilitate the production of accessible materials, or viewed electronically via computers, iPads, and accessible technology devices.

Anyone searching the Louis database will be able to see if a file is available for download. However, only APH Ex Officio Trustees and "authorized entities" (as defined under the 1996 Chafee Amendment) can become Registered Users entitled to log on and download files.

We always welcome new repository users. Please go to the About E-Files page to download the Agreement form to register yourself and/or a designee today!

Contributing to the APH File Repository — A key goal of the APH File Repository is to provide users with braille-ready files for instructional materials in order to facilitate efficient braille production. By sharing braille-ready files with others, it is possible to leverage the work done by one braille transcriber so that it yields time and cost savings for other transcribers and agencies. Braille-ready files are ready to be embossed and distributed to the student as hard-copy braille. They can also be used directly by the student with AT devices that can read braille files. Agencies save time and money by avoiding the need to transcribe a textbook from scratch, and students win by receiving their instructional materials much more quickly.

APH Research Libraries — The APH Barr Library supports research initiatives at APH, while the Migel Library is one of the largest collections of nonmedical information related to blindness in the world. Although the collections do not circulate, arrangements can be made to use the materials on-site. In addition, APH is making a growing number of digitized, full-text materials available through the online catalog at migel.aph.org. The Migel is a collaborative effort managed jointly by Resource Services and the Museum.

Contact Library:

library@aph.org or resource@aph.org Call: 800-223-1839, ext. 705

Resource Services Staff (Director, then alphabetically)

Julia Myers, Director, Resource Services
Phone: 502-899-2321
jmyers@aph.org
Contact for policy and management issues regarding Louis, Louis Plus, AMP, the APH File Repository, publisher relations, permissions, APH AFB Migel Library, and NIMAC.

Justin Gardner, Special Collections and Cataloging Librarian
Phone: 502-899-2202
jgardner@aph.org
Justin provides reference and does cataloging for both the Migel and Barr Libraries. He answers incoming customer reference questions and catalogs accessible materials for Louis and Louis Plus.

Joon-Kyeong Lee, Copyright and Cataloging Librarian
Phone: 502-899-2341
jlee@aph.org
Works with publishers to obtain copyright permission for APH Large Print. Joon also answers incoming customer reference questions and catalogs accessible materials for Louis and Louis Plus.

Debbie O'Connell, Resource Services Assistant
Receives and processes intentions and completions from contributing agencies. Debbie also assists with the Barr Research Library.

Matt Rummele, Special Collections and Digital Initiatives Librarian
Phone: 502-899-2318
mrummele@aph.org
Matt answers incoming customer reference questions and catalogs accessible materials for Louis and Louis Plus. Matt also receives and catalogs electronic files, creates new accounts for the APH File Repository, and assists users with downloading from the APH File Repository.

Linda F. Turner, Technical Services and Digital Resources Manager
Phone: 502-899-2342
lturner@aph.org
Contact with questions regarding the APH File Repository. Linda receives and catalogs electronic files, creates new accounts for the APH File Repository, and assists users with downloading from the APH File Repository. Linda also answers incoming customer reference questions and catalogs accessible materials for Louis and Louis Plus.

Public Affairs

The Public Affairs Department supports the APH mission through:

Public Affairs Staff (Director, then alphabetically):

Gary Mudd, Vice President, Public Affairs
Phone: 502-899-2308
gmudd@aph.org
Contact for information regarding the Public Affairs Department, APH policies, government relations, public and media relations, internal communications, the APH Museum, and corporate archives. Oversees all Public Affairs staff.

Jamie Beard, Administrative Assistant, Public Affairs
Phone: 502-899-2242
jbeard@aph.org
Contact to schedule tours of APH. Provides assistance and general information related to all aspects of Public Affairs Department.

Katie Carpenter, Museum Educator
Phone: 502-899-2213
kcarpenter@aph.org
Contact for museum's loan kits, education programs, and special events; and workshops for schools, Scouts, and other groups.

Micheal Hudson, Director, Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind
Phone: 502-899-2365
mhudson@aph.org
Contact for information about museum events, museum exhibits, traveling exhibits, the artifact and archive collection, history of APH and education of people who are blind and visually impaired, and the Migel Memorial Library.

Nancy Lacewell, Director of Government and Community Affairs
Phone: 502-899-2339
nlacewell@aph.org
Contact for government relations information, including the Leaders to Leaders Advocacy Program, and Prison Braille Programs.

Anne Rich, Collections Manager, Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind
Phone: 502-899-2364
arich@aph.org
Contact for information about the Museum collection, historical archives, and museum traveling exhibits.

Becky Snider, Public Affairs Coordinator
Phone: 502-899-2356
rsnider@aph.org
Contact for In Touch, the APH in-house newsletter, and the Leaders to Leaders Advocacy Program. Provides assistance and general information related to all aspects of Public Affairs Department.

Roberta Williams, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 502-899-2357
rwilliams@aph.org
Contact for information about, or suggestions for, news releases or other APH-related publicity. Contact for information about APH InSights Art Competition, and tours.

Ordering Materials

Ordering Materials Using Federal Quota Funds

Ex Officio Trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) are entrusted with seeing that quota funds assigned to their accounts are used properly. They are, therefore, required to approve all federal quota orders charged to their accounts.

Each year on September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, the accounting books are cleared of all federal quota monies which have not been spent or encumbered. These monies are then reallocated on a per capita basis among all federal quota accounts.

To avoid loss of unspent monies, orders and encumbrances must reach APH by September 30.

How to Learn about APH Products

Browsing APH Online Shopping Site and Louis Database

To learn about the thousands of APH products available for purchase with quota funds, explore our ecommerce site, shop.aph.org. Additionally, please visit APH’s Louis Database of Accessible Materials, louis.aph.org where you can browse through more than 12,000 APH products, textbooks, and repository files currently available.

Note: A small number of APH products are not available with quota funds, this will be noted in the product listing.

Print and Electronic Catalogs

APH offers the Instructional Products Catalog designed for easy browsing of APH products. Find accessible catalogs on our website, or by calling 800-223-1839 and following the prompt for ordering paper catalogs. You can also make the request by email to info@aph.org

How to Place a Quota Order

Two Ways to Place an Order

APH offers two ways to order using quota funds:

Note: If you are placing an order using non-Quota funds (a credit card), you may call our 800 number. Quota orders may not be placed over the telephone.

Ordering Using the Paper Quota Order Form

APH has a paper form available specifically for Quota orders. To order a tablet of quota order forms, contact Artina Paris-Jones at aparis@aph.org or at 502-899-2368. You can also print the order form from the APH website, www.aph.org

Guidelines for Completing Paper Form:

Submit Paper Orders by Fax or Mail

FAX signed quota order forms to: 1-502-899-2284.

Mail quota forms to: APH, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206-0085.

Status or Cancellation of Orders

If an ordered item has not been received, please contact APH Customer Service. Please do not send duplicate orders for such items.

Email or telephone inquiries regarding the status of an order will be accepted from the local school originating the order. When inquiring, please identify each order by federal quota order number or school/agency purchase order number.

Our toll-free number is 800-223-1839.

APH Customer Service is available to accept your non-federal quota product orders weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST). APH accepts Discover®, MasterCard®, American Express® and Visa® credit cards. When placing phone orders use our toll-free number, 1-800-223-1839. Orders using federal quota funds cannot be placed over the phone, but may placed by fax, mail, or through the APH website.

Ordering Using the APH Online Shopping Site

Ex Officio Trustees are encouraged to place their orders online with a secured login at shop.aph.org. Prior to using online shopping for the first time, a one-time account setup process must be completed, please see below.

Logging In

If you are an existing customer, simply enter your Login Name and your Password.

Setting Up An Online Federal Quota Order Account

For Ex Officio Trustees:

Ex Officio Trustees who wish to submit orders online using Federal Quota funds must go to shop.aph.org and set up an online account. On the APH shopping site homepage, select "New Account" and this will bring up a registration form that must be completed and submitted by clicking on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page. EOTs must then contact the Census Support Specialist at camback@aph.org to request a Federal Quota Online Ordering Designation Form which will be emailed to the EOT. This form must be printed and completed by the Ex Officio Trustee and should include the Login ID of the newly created account. An original hard copy of this form must be signed by the Ex Officio Trustee and mailed to the address below:

American Printing House for the Blind
Attn Cindy Amback
1839 Frankfort Ave
Louisville KY 40206

Once the original has been received at APH, the paperwork is shared with the CTS Department. A CTS employee will contact the Ex Officio Trustee when the account has been finalized. This can take between twenty-four (24) and forty-eight (48) hours. The EOT can then begin ordering online using federal quota funds.

Please note that APH requires that EOTs and Assistants not share their login information with anyone at any time for security reasons!

For Assistants:

Only Ex Officio Trustees can designate an assistant to use Federal Quota funds, therefore, only Ex Officio Trustees can sign and date the designation form.

If an Ex Officio Trustee wants to assign the task of Federal Quota online ordering to an assistant, the assistant must first go online at shop.aph.org and set up an online account. After the website opens, select "New Account" and this will bring up a registration form that must be completed and submitted by clicking on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page. The Assistant must then complete a Federal Quota Online Ordering Designation Form that includes their login ID. The EOT must sign the form for it to be official.

Ex Officio Trustees wanting to designate an assistant for this task should contact the Support Specialist via email for a blank form. Only Ex Officio Trustees can designate an assistant to use Federal Quota funds, therefore, only Ex Officio Trustees can sign and date the designation form. Once completed by the EOT, the form must be snail mailed to APH at the following address:

American Printing House for the Blind
Attn Cindy Amback
1839 Frankfort Ave
Louisville KY 40206

After the electronic form has been received at APH, a CTS staff member will finalize the Federal Quota online account. This can take between twenty four (24) and forty-eight (48) hours. The assistant is then notified via email or phone that the account can be used and orders can then be placed.

NOTE: All Ex Officio Trustees and their assistants must have a separate login and password to access online ordering. The login and password is chosen when an account is set up online.

NOTE: If an Ex Officio Trustee or assistant wishes to also order with a credit card, a separate account will need to be created.

APH Shopping Site Documentation for Federal Quota Customers

Welcome to the APH Shopping site, shop.aph.org. We have created this documentation as a guide using our accessible online system. We are continually adding improvements to our shopping site and we welcome your feedback.

You can search for products without logging in, but you will need to login to purchase products. Simply enter your existing APH shopping site Login ID and Password to sign in. If you do not yet have a federal quota web account, please follow the setup instructions listed above under Setting Up An Online Federal Quota Order Account.

Please note that the Logon ID and Password are case sensitive.

Screen shot of the Shop APH Logon Screen

APH Shopping Home Page

From this page, you can browse by category or search by product name, catalog number, ISBN book number, or product description.

Screen shot of the Shop APH Home Page

For instance, when we search for "slates", we will see a screen displaying all slate-related APH products. The search results are in alphabetical order by product name.

Screen shot of the search results for slates

If we click on "Braille Stylus: Flat", we will see two product choices on the product detail page: a large yellow stylus and a small green stylus. To the right, each of these stylus listings has an "Add to Cart" button.

Screen shot of the product detail page for the APH flat stylus

From here you could click the "Add to Cart" button or you could choose the "Add to wish list" button, that also appears on the right. The Wish List allows you to store a list of possible future purchases. You can also email your Wish List to one or more people. Many EOTs allow teachers to submit a Wish List to them as a draft request for purchasing items.

Should you choose "Add to wish list", you will see the following screen, where you can enter one or more email addresses to send others your Wish List. If you are already logged in, the system will fill in your name and email address to email your wish list.

Screen shot of a sample Wish List Page, containing the 4 x 6 Interpoint Braille Slate with Saddle-Shaped Stylus and the Braille Stylus: Flat, Small Green

If you know your catalog number, you can use the "Quick Order" feature, allowing you to enter multiple catalog numbers on one screen. You can add a maximum of fifty (50) items on the Quick Order screen.

Screen shot of the Quick Order page

Once you add items to your cart, you can click on the "Cart" button to see the items you have added to your shopping cart. At this point you can continue shopping, either browsing by category or searching for a specific catalog number or product description, or you can go to "Checkout".

Screen shot of a sample Shopping Cart Page, containing the 4 x 6 Interpoint Braille Slate with Saddle-Shaped Stylus and the Braille Stylus: Flat, Small Green

On the Shopping Cart screen shown below, the shopping site has highlighted in red an item that cannot be purchased with Federal Quota funds and an item that cannot be shipped "Free Matter for the Blind".

Important Note: should you choose an item that cannot be shipped "Free Matter for the Blind", the entire order must be shipped UPS or you may put the non "Free Matter for the Blind" item on a separate order. Free matter and non-Free Matter shipments cannot be mixed on the same order.

You will also notice on this screen that the system will give you an error message if you put items in your cart that cannot be purchased with Federal Quota funds. Please remove these items from your cart.

Screen shot of a shopping cart page showing the No Quota Funds and No Free Matter Shipping warning messages

Choose the "Checkout" button to take you to the Shipping Screen where you will choose the Ship-to Address for your order. Please note that customers with many Ship-to Addresses can use Ctrl-F to quickly find the Ship-to Address they are looking for by code number or part of the name or address fields.

Screen shot of a shipping screen showing multiple ship-to addresses

Once you decide on the Ship-to Address, click on the "Ship to this address and CONTINUE" link to take you to the Shipping Method screen. Note that if you are using the Ctrl-F feature, you may need to click the "Ship to this address and CONTINUE" link twice.

On the Shipping Method screen, you will choose either "Free Matter for the Blind (FMB)" or UPS Standard Shipping. This is assuming you have not ordered a non FMB item as shown in the previous screen.

Screen shot of shipping method screen highlighting the shipping choices

In addition to the Shipping Address and shipping method you have chosen, the Shipping Method screen allows you to check the "Add Comments" box. Please note that these Comments will only print on your order confirmation and will not be seen by APH personnel.

Screen shot of the shipping screen highlighting the checked comments box
Screen shot of the enter your comments screen

Click the "Next" button on the shipping address screen to take you to the Order Summary screen. On this screen you will see a summary of the items you have ordered. A purchase order number is required for all Federal Quota purchases. You will notice that your Quota Balance as of the end of the previous day appears here as well.

Once you have verified that all of your information is correct, click the "Order" button to submit your order to APH.

Screen shot of a sample order summary, featuring World Maps, and Fun With Braille

You will receive an order confirmation from APH.

Order Status

There are two places you can see your order status. Within the shopping system under "My Account", you will see a listing of all of your order numbers. Clicking on one of these order numbers will show you the detail lines for that order. You can re-order the exact items if you wish, by clicking on the "Re-Order" button. Note that this will only show you the items you have ordered from the web shopping system.

Screen shot of the Order Status List

The other place you can go to check your order status is the link at the bottom of every page: "View Federal Quota Order Status". You will be able to see your real-time updated account balance and your outstanding order value as well as orders placed by fax or web shopping site. You can search for orders by confirmation number, APH order number, or your PO number. Your account balance may not reflect new allocation funds in the first few months of each fiscal year.

You'll login to this secure website using the same login id, password and account number that you use with the Student Registration System. For your security, please remember to logout and close your browser session after you are through viewing your order information.

Screen shot of the footer of the APH Ecommerce pages, the View Federal Quota Order Status link is circled in red

Non-Quota Orders

Organizations may purchase items with non-quota funds using a check; Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express; or with a purchase order.

Individuals are encouraged to shop at shop.aph.org and may purchase online using a credit card.

Individuals have the option to submit an order by mail by completing an APH Order Form. Individuals may purchase by check, credit card, or money order. (Please, no cash by mail.) Send order forms to:

American Printing House for the Blind
PO Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206-0085

APH Returns Policy

Defective Merchandise:

APH makes every effort to inspect merchandise before it leaves our facility. If you do receive an item which is defective, we will repair or replace it at no cost to you. (We reserve the right to choose whether we will repair or replace the item.) In the case of items that have a specific warranty, we must be notified within one year of the date the item was shipped to the end user. In the case of items that do not have a specific warranty, we must be notified within 30 days of the date the item was shipped to the end user.

Other Returns:

We want you to be satisfied. You may return a non-damaged item for any reason within 60 days of the date that the item was shipped from APH subject to the following conditions:

Note: The following items may not be returned for any reason other than defects:

Census Instructions

Instructions 2013 Federal Quota Registration of Blind Students

"As Of" date for School-Aged Students: Monday, January 7, 2013.

Adult students to be registered must have been enrolled in a documented instructional program for a minimum of 12 weeks in the previous calendar year.

Deadline for Completion of SRS Updates (phase one) by Ex Officio Trustees or their assistants via the Web Interface each year: March 15th.

Contents

Overview

The Federal Quota Program was initiated in 1879 by the Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. This program is a means whereby a per capita amount of money is designated for the purchase of educational materials for each eligible student registered through an established Federal Quota account. These Federal Quota accounts are maintained and administered by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and its Ex Officio Trustees.

The Federal Quota Registration is the census that records students who are eligible to receive materials provided by the Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. This census is conducted through the Advisory Services portion of the act. This booklet outlines the process of registering students for this program.

If you have questions about Federal Quota Registration or the Student Registration System (SRS) software, please contact Cindy Amback, Department of Field Services, camback@aph.org or 800-223-1839, ext. 257.

Eligibility for Federal Quota Registration

In order for students to be eligible for registration in the Federal Quota Program, they MUST meet the requirements as outlined in An Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. Students must:

The educational programs providing services to these students can include public, private, and parochial schools.

There is NO chronological age limit for eligibility. The federal law limits registration to persons working at less than college level, but places no restriction on the ages of eligible students.

Eligibility of Adults

Adults to be registered must be receiving a minimum of 20 hours of documented instruction per week, for twelve weeks in an educational program. The twelve weeks do not need to be consecutive. Social and leisure programs do not qualify as instruction. However, student practice to develop skills can be included in instructional hours. For these purposes, an adult is a student over school age as determined by respective state law.

Eligibility of Infants, Preschool Children, and Homebound Students

Eligible infants, preschool children, and homebound students can be registered if they are enrolled in a formally organized, regularly scheduled educational or training program and have a written education plan.

Eligibility of Students Who Are Home Schooled

In order for blind students enrolled in home school programs to prove eligible for registration in the Federal Quota Program, the home school program should meet guidelines and/or procedures in effect within each individual state. Students must have a written education plan.

Important Notes

Definition of School Age

For the purposes of the Federal Quota Registration, school age is to be determined by the state law of each respective state.

Required Documentation

The following documents are not to be submitted to APH, but must be on file with the agency or school students are attending in the event that an audit requires evidence of the student's educational program or visual acuity:

Duplicate Registration

Students cannot be registered by two accounts. If a student is attending two programs, the Ex Officio Trustees involved, not their assistants, must work together to determine which of the two accounts will register the student. The agency providing the major portion of specialized educational services (primary service delivery) is usually the account with which the student is registered.

NOTE: APH does not make rulings on which account keeps a duplicate student. Only the Ex Officio Trustees involved can resolve this issue, but duplicates must be resolved in phase two and in phase three for the census to be finalized.

Private Nonprofit Accounts—Attention: State Departments of Education

Students who are enrolled in nonpublic schools must, by law, be registered in a separate Private Nonprofit (PNP) account. This requires a separate account number to register those students in SRS.

If students in nonpublic schools are to be registered by you and your agency does not have a separate PNP account, please contact APH to establish one.

For a student who moves from a public school to a private school as of January 7, 2013, it is necessary to delete the student record from the public listing and add it to the private school registration, or vice versa.

Effective Date for Eligibility

The "as of" date for registration in the Federal Quota Program is traditionally the first Monday in January. School-aged students must be enrolled on this date to qualify for this program. The first Monday in 2012 is January 7.

Adult students must have been registered for a minimum of twelve (12) weeks in the previous calendar year.

Method of Reporting Registration to APH

The method for reporting the Federal Quota Registration to APH is data entry via the Student Registration System (SRS) Web interface into the SRS database.

IMPORTANT: All agencies are required to use the SRS Web interface to submit their updated Census information. Please contact the APH Field Services Support Specialist, Cindy Amback, if you are unable to use the Web interface for any reason.

Please note: Adobe Reader 5.0 or above is required for reports developed through the new SRS Web interface. Adobe Reader is available as a free download.

Phases of the Census

There are four phases of the Census each year.

Phase One

Phase one ends on March 15th each year. Please note that in this phase you may update data, add new registrants, and mark for deletion those registrants who were not registered with you on the first Monday in January.

Phase Two

Phase Three

Please note that in phase two or three you may request that a registrant be marked for deletion, but no new students may be added.

Phase Four

Certificates of Allocation

Please note: Certificates of Allocation are usually sent after the first of the calendar year since that is the time when APH usually receives notification of allocation approval.

Instructions for Reporting

Uploading Data: You may upload your data to the SRS Website. Use the Upload Template (sent in November) provided by your Support Specialist to record your data. Once the clean data has been uploaded to APH, it is checked by the APH CTS staff for accuracy and viruses. When approved, it will be uploaded into SRS. You will still be required to verify your uploaded data by saving each registrant to the current Census year and by checking for possible duplicates and age/grade mismatches.

***New Instructions for uploading your data can be found on the Upload screen in SRS.

To upload your data, simply click on the Upload button located underneath the APH Logo in SRS. Then use the Browse button to locate your Excel spreadsheet with your current data and click on Upload File to upload your data onto the SRS holding site. Please notify your Support Specialist via email when this has been completed. Be sure to include your account number(s), name, and phone number in the email for faster response time. CTS will be notified to check the data and finalize it accordingly.

The data to be reported and the reporting codes to be used are outlined later in this instruction booklet.

The Basic Process of Registration

Updating the Data—How to Update Data/Register Students in 2013

Updating Registrant Information/Searching for Registrants:
In order to edit or delete a registrant's data, you must first be logged in and execute a search to find the specific registrant's record. Do this by clicking the Records/Change Account button on your toolbar. Then click the Filter the Records in the Grid button located above the grid. Next, enter student specific information in one of the search boxes and click Apply Filter. Find the registrant in the grid below the search boxes and click the Select button to the left of the registrant's name. This will take you to the registrant's data on the Edit/Verify screen. At this point, a record may be edited or deleted.

To Save Updates/Edits:
To save the results of any edits, the Save/Validate button must be clicked at the end of each edit. The rule is "Save As You Go!"

Picture of buttons used in the SRS software: Previous Record, Cancel, Save/Validate, and Next Record

As the record is saved, various edit checks against the data are performed in the background of the database. You will be notified (in red above the Save/Validate button) of any fields in which an error occurred. THESE MUST BE CORRECTED before the data can be saved.

To Add a Student Not Enrolled the Previous Year:
Click the Add button on the toolbar at the top of the page. Enter the student information as usual and click the Save/Validate button. The current census year and student ID are automatically added.

Deleting Registrants Who Are No Longer Enrolled
To delete a registrant who was enrolled the previous year, first do a search on the Records/Change Account screen (see above for directions on search) and locate the registrant you need to mark for deletion. Click Select on the search grid and this will take you to the registrant's data on the Edit/Verify screen. Next, click the box next to Marked for Deletion. Click Save/Validate and save as you go!

Please note that when a student's information is deleted through the Web interface it is only marked for deletion. Once a registrant is marked for deletion, their information will not appear in standard reports but will appear on the Deleted Students Report under Data Maintenance on the Report screen. Registrants will not be completely deleted from the database until the end of phase three or when APH closes the Census for the year. Please, please, please save your Deleted Students Report in SRS before your click the Phase Three Completed button in SRS. This is the only time you can save a list of those students you chose to delete. Once they are gone, they are gone and cannot be added back in SRS with the same ID number!

Registrants Moving from One Account to Another Administered by the Same Trustee:
Trustees who administer more than one account may transfer a registrant's data from one account they administer to another by utilizing the account drop down list on the registrant's Edit/Verify screen. This eliminates the need to delete and re-enter the same data twice. You will still need to open that student's data in the new account, update the record (including the district, etc.), and save it.

Preliminary Student Registration Form

The preliminary student registration report is a tool used to gather your data before the actual Census begins in January and, can be generated by accessing the SRS Web interface/Report screen. The SRS program is available to Trustees and their assistants to make changes to their data once the previous Census has been completed.

Updating the Data on the Preliminary Student Registration Report

In addition to the master Preliminary Student Registration Report form, a blank preliminary student registration form will be e-mailed to Ex Officio Trustees and their assistants prior to the first Monday in January each year. When gathering data on the Preliminary Student Registration Report form, the following steps are to be used for a Student to Be Registered in 2013:

NOTE: This report is for your use only in gathering new data each year and is not to be sent to APH for data entry. Gather your data/notes on this report so that it can be used when you update/type your data in SRS.

Information to be Reported

For each eligible student, the following data must be reported:

Definitions of Required Information and Reporting Codes

Student ID numbers:
This number is for APH purposes. Click the Save/Validate button after updating the rest of the student's data and the year will be updated automatically.

Name of student:
Report each student's full name using upper and lower case in this order: last name, middle, first name (e.g., Doe G John). In the middle field you may type an initial, a middle name, or leave blank. Middle name/initial is not required, but if you know the information and want to add it to help cut back on the number of possible duplicates in phase two and three, please do so.

Date of birth:
Give the student's date of birth in numbers using this sequence: month, day, year (e.g., 06/03/1985). Dashes do not work.

Name of school district, system, agency, or district in which student is enrolled:
Select the school system, agency, or district from the drop down list of valid entities for your account. If you wish to add a new school system, agency, or district to your drop down list, please contact Cindy in writing by e-mail at camback@aph.org. Be sure to include the following information in your e-mail: account number, name of districts to be added, your name, and your phone number just in case there is a question about your information.

Student Grade Placement Categories and Reporting Codes

Please carefully review the following chart of student placement categories, being certain the grade placement reported accurately reflects each student's actual placement. Only the following codes will be accepted.

Note: Students who exceed school age as determined by respective state law must be registered as Adult Students (Reporting Code "AD").

Adult Students

Beginning with the 2013 census, the following instructions for registering adults in the census will be used:

Includes all eligible participants over school age as determined by individual state law, in instructional programs of less than college level.

Reporting Code: AD

Definition of the Adult Student Placement Category
Eligible adult students are those who meet the definition of blindness and who are enrolled in instructional programs, at less than college level, for 20 (documented) hours per week. Social and leisure programs do not qualify as instruction. However, student practice to develop skills can be included in instructional hours.

Registration will be determined by the number of students enrolled throughout the previous calendar year for at least three months of instruction (an accumulation of 12 weeks). The twelve weeks do not have to be consecutive weeks.

Note: For the purposes of Federal Quota Registration, school age is to be determined by the state law of each respective state. Each state's age limitation is encoded in SRS for your convenience. The Potential Age/Grade Mismatch report in SRS uses this information to “catch” anyone you may have missed in your updates who should be coded as an adult (AD).

Students in education or rehabilitation programs, but not enrolled in grade 12 or below, must meet the eligibility requirements as stated above.

Preschool and School Age Students

**Does not include any eligible participants over school age.

Reporting CodeDefinition
IPInfants: Children of preschool age served by infant programs
PSPreschool Students: Children of preschool age served by preschool programs
KGKindergarten Students: Children enrolled in kindergarten classes
01-12Students of School Age: Determined by state law, in regular academic grades 1 through 12. Please indicate grade placement by using numerals 01 through 12
ANAcademic Non-graded: Students of school age, as determined by state law, who are working to acquire skills necessary for placement in a regular grade.
VOVocational Students: Students of school age, as determined by state law, who are in vocational training (e.g., students enrolled in a program which is designed to lead to independent employment). This does not include multi-handicapped students in prevocational programs or classes.
PGPost-graduate Students: Students of school age, as determined by state law, in post-graduate high school programs, studying at less than college level
OROther Registrants: Students of school age, as determined by state law, who do not fall into any of the above placements (e.g., students enrolled in classes for nonacademic students)

Measurement of Vision with Correction

Vision Measurements for use only when gathering data

Measurements of Visual Acuities

Distance Vision: 20/200 or less with maximum correction using the Snellen Chart
Visual Field: Restricted field of 20 degrees or less
Counts Fingers: Should be used only when an eye specialist finds it is not possible to obtain an acuity using the Snellen Chart
Functions at the Definition of Blindness: Should be used when visual functioning is reduced by a brain injury or dysfunction and visual acuity is not possible to determine using the Snellen Chart
Hand Movements: Should be used only when an eye specialist finds it is not possible to obtain an acuity using the Snellen Chart
Object Perception
Light Perception only or No Light Perception
Totally Blind or NIL

NOTE: The above information is for reference purposes only to help you determine if a student qualifies for the Federal Quota Program. Once it is determined that a student qualifies for the program and you begin data entry, only the codes below will be accepted for input into the Student Registration System (SRS).

Functionality Reporting Codes (required field)

There are only two reporting codes used in SRS in regards to functionality; Meets the Definition of Blindness (MDB) or Functions at the Definition of Blindness (FDB).

For students to be eligible to participate in the Federal Quota Program, they MUST fulfill the following requirement:

Meet the definition of blindness (MDB) - a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction or a peripheral field of vision no greater than 20 degrees

OR

Functions at the definition of blindness (FDB) - when visual performance is reduced by a brain injury or dysfunction.

Primary Language of Learner (required field)

Ex Officio Trustees are requested to gather the primary language of learner and report this data in the Student Registration System (SRS).

Primary Language of Learner Codes:
Field choices:

Reading Media

Primary Reading Media and Reporting Codes (required field)

The primary reading medium is to be reported for each student using the following reporting codes. Only these codes will be accepted.

Note: Infants and preschoolers identified as visual, braille, or auditory readers should be reported using the appropriate media codes.

Reporting CodePrimary Reading Medium
VVisual Readers: Student primarily using print in their studies
BBraille Readers: Students primarily using braille in their studies
AAuditory Readers: Students primarily using a reader or auditory materials in their studies
PPrereaders: Students working on or toward a readiness level; infants, preschoolers, or older students with reading potential
NNonreaders/Symbolic Readers: Nonreading students; students who show no current reading potential; students who do not show traditional print or Braille reading potential (symbolic readers); students who do not fall into any of the above categories

Secondary Reading Medium and Reporting Codes (required field)

In addition to listing a primary reading medium, a secondary reading medium is also a required category/field. Only one medium can be chosen and entered in the secondary reading medium field to provide more accurate statistics.

Reporting CodeSecondary Reading Medium
VVisual: Students use print to some extent
BBraille: Students use braille to some extent
AAuditory: Students use a reader or auditory materials to some extent
NANot Applicable: Nonreaders, prereaders, or students with no additional reading media

Note: Please remember that you may not duplicate a reading medium in the primary and secondary reading media fields.

Other (or Third) Reading Medium and Reporting Codes (optional field)

An optional other (or third) reading medium field has been added for your convenience. This field is not required and defaults to NA, or not applicable. You may choose not to report this reading medium.

Reporting CodeOther (or Third) Reading Medium
VVisual: Students use print to some extent
BBraille: Students use Braille to some extent
AAuditory: Students use a reader or auditory materials to some extent
NANot Applicable: Nonreaders, prereaders, or students with no additional reading media

Note: Please remember that you may not duplicate a reading medium in the second and third reading media fields with the exception of NA.

Directions for submitting to APH

Suggestion: After all of the updates for the current year have been made to your data in phase one of the Census, print a copy of the Student Listings by Name Report (found on the Report screen of the SRS Web interface) which lists all of your students, or save a copy to your hard drive for reference in phase two and three. If you choose to save the report to your computer, be sure to label it "2013 Census Data-Phase I (and your account number)" so it will not be confused with the reports you save at the end of the year for historical purposes.

You may also choose to download your data to a spreadsheet at the end of phase one. This is an elective step, not mandatory.

Notify Cindy by e-mail when you have completed each phase of the Census by clicking on the appropriate button in SRS (phase one completed, etc.).

**Remember that at the end of Phase One you cannot add any additional students. At the end of Phase Two, you may not delete any students.

Questions regarding the Federal Quota Census should be directed to Cindy Amback by phone at 800-223-1839, extension 257, by email at camback@aph.org or snail mailed to:

AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND
ATTN CINDY AMBACK
P.O. BOX 6085
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 40206-0085

2013 DEADLINE—Phase One: March 15, 2013

Registrations will not be accepted after March 15! Call if you have questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I schedule a presentation/training for staff?
To schedule a presentation/training on any APH educational materials or products, contact Janie Blome by phone at 502-899-2367, 800-223-1839, extension 367, or by email at jblome@aph.org.

How can I request APH as an Exhibitor?
To request that APH be an exhibitor at your event, send a request in writing, preferably by e-mail, to Cindy Amback at camback@aph.org or by mail at American Printing House for the Blind, Attn: Cindy Amback, PO Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206-0085. Be sure to include the name and dates of your event, the city and state where it will be located, number and type of registrants, and any other pertinent event information.

What is AMP?
The Accessible Media Producers (AMP) Database is available to anyone wishing to search for accessible media producers. You will find it as an icon on our home page, www.aph.org

This database lists individuals who are available to produce accessible media. It will list their qualifications as well as where they are located.

When you wish to find a producer, list the qualifications that you require and it will give you a list of producers that meet your requirements.

To be listed as a producer, contact Julia Myers at jmyers@aph.org or download the AMP form from the website.

APH does not verify the qualifications of these producers. It is the responsibility of the individual user to assure themselves of finding a good match.

How do I order a tri-fold for promotional purposes?
APH will provide promotional materials for your training sessions/conferences when requested. You can order a tri-fold, table-top display by contacting Scott Blome at 502-899-2301 or by email at sblome@aph.org

How do I contact other Ex Officio Trustees?
A directory of current Ex Officio Trustees is available online. You can search by state or by Ex Officio Trustee name.

You may also use the Contact screen in SRS to access a list of current EOTs and their assistants by account number.

Another great resource for all Ex Officio Trustees across the country is the EOT listserve. This list serve provides an opportunity to communicate and share information with other EOTs. To subscribe, simply send a blank email to Eot-request@tech.aph.org and put the word 'subscribe' in the subject line.

How is a new Ex Officio Trustee designated and who can designate EOTs
The Ex Officio Trustee is the head of a state department of education, residential school for the blind, or other agency serving the blind, or their designee and must be designated by the head of each respective organization, as follows: head of the state department of education, superintendent of a residential school for the blind, or the executive officer of other agencies serving the blind.

The form for designation of the Ex Officio Trustee is available electronically by contacting the Field Services Support Specialist and in the Appendix/Forms section of this handbook.

Completed designation forms should be faxed to Cindy Amback at (502)899-2363. The original document must be signed and returned to: American Printing House for the Blind, Attn: Cindy Amback, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY, 40206. Questions should be directed to Cindy at (800) 223-1839, extension 257. Designation becomes final upon receipt of the original, signed, document. It is recommended that you keep a copy for your agency’s records.

Prompt notification to APH of any changes in Trusteeship is essential to insure continuing service.

How can I get additional APH catalogs?
Each Ex Officio Trustee will receive a copy of any new available catalogs. Additional copies for staff may be ordered from Artina Paris-Jones at (800) 223-1839, extension 368, or by email at aparis-jones@aph.org. You can may also have Artina add your staff to our mailing list so that they receive updated catalogs automatically.

Appendix/Forms

Title 20-Education, Chapter 6, American Printing House for the Blind

Sec. 101. - Annual appropriations

For the purpose of enabling the American Printing House for the Blind more adequately to provide books and apparatus for the education of the blind, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually to it, such sum as the Congress may determine; which sum shall be expended in accordance with the requirements of sections 101, 102, and 104 of this title, under rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Education, to promote the education of the blind

Sec. 102. - Application of appropriations

The Secretary of Education is authorized to pay over semiannually, to the trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind, located in Louisville, Kentucky, and chartered in 1858 by the Legislature of Kentucky, upon requisition of their president, countersigned by their treasurer, one-half of such annual appropriation upon the following conditions:
(1) Purposes and methods of expenditures

First.
(A)
Such appropriation shall be expended by the trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind each year in manufacturing and furnishing books and other materials specially adapted for instruction of the blind; and the total amount of such books and other materials so manufactured and furnished by such appropriation shall each year be distributed among all the public and private nonprofit institutions in the States, Territories, and possessions of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, in which blind pupils are educated. Each public and private nonprofit institution for the education of the blind shall receive, in books and other materials, upon requisition of its superintendent, that portion of the appropriation as is shown by the ratio between the number of blind pupils in that institution and the total number of blind pupils in all of the public and private nonprofit institutions in which blind pupils are educated. Each chief State school officer shall receive, in books and other materials, upon requisition, that portion of the appropriation as is shown by the ratio between the number of blind pupils in public and private nonprofit institutions (in the State) in which blind pupils are educated, other than institutions to which the preceding sentence is applicable, and the total number of blind pupils in the public and private nonprofit institutions in which blind pupils are educated in all of the States, Territories, and possessions of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The ratio referred to in each of the two immediately preceding sentences shall be computed upon the first Monday in January of each year; and for purposes of such sentences the number of blind pupils in public and private nonprofit institutions in which blind pupils are educated shall be authenticated in such manner and as often as the trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind shall require. For purposes of sections 101, 102, and 104 of this title, an institution for the education of the blind is any institution which provides education exclusively for the blind, or exclusively for the blind and other handicapped children (in which case special classes are provided for the blind); the chief State school officer of a State is the superintendent of public elementary and secondary schools in such State or, if there is none, such other official as the Governor certifies to have comparable responsibility in the State; and a blind pupil is a blind individual pursuing a course of study in an institution of less than college grade.

(B)
The portion of the appropriation received by each chief State school officer, in such books and other materials under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph which represents the number of blind pupils in private nonprofit institutions in such State in which blind pupils are educated shall be distributed among such institutions on the basis of the number of blind pupils in each such institution as compared to the total number of such pupils in all of the private nonprofit institutions in which blind pupils are educated in such State.

(C)
All books and other materials furnished pursuant to sections 101, 102, and 104 of this title, and control and administration of their use, shall vest only in a public agency. Such books and materials made available pursuant to sections 101, 102 and 104 of this title for use of teachers and blind pupils in any State, Territory, or possession of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia in any school shall be limited to those books and materials which have been approved by an appropriate educational authority or agency of such State, Territory, possession, Commonwealth, or District, or any local educational authority thereof, for use, or are used, in a public elementary or secondary school therein.

2) Buildings Second.

Second. No part of the appropriation shall be expended in the erection or leasing of buildings; but the trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind may use each year a reasonable sum of the annual appropriation for salaries and other expenses of experts and other staff to assist special committees which may be appointed in performance of their functions, and for expenses of such special committees.

(3) Sales of books and apparatus at cost

Third. No profit shall be put on any books or tangible apparatus for the instruction of the blind manufactured or furnished by the trustees of said American Printing House for the Blind, located in Louisville, Kentucky; and the price put upon each article so manufactured or furnished shall only be its actual cost.

(4) Income withheld when not properly used

Fourth. The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States shall have the authority to withhold the appropriation whenever he shall receive satisfactory proof that the trustees of said American Printing House for the Blind, located in Louisville, Kentucky, are not using the appropriation for the benefit of the blind in the public and private nonprofit institutions for the education of the blind in the United States.

(5) Bond of treasurer

Fifth. Before any money be paid to the treasurer of the American Printing House for the Blind by the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, the treasurer of the American Printing House for the Blind shall execute a bond, with two approved sureties, to the amount of $20,000, conditioned that the money so received shall be expended according to this law and all amendments thereto, which shall be held by the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, and shall be renewed every two years.

(6) Ex officio trustees

Sixth. The superintendent of each public institution for the education of the blind (or his designee) and the chief State school officer (or his designee), of each State and possession of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, shall each, ex officio, be a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind only for purposes of administering sections 101, 102 and 104 of this title

Sec. 103. - Publications for National Library for the Blind

Two copies of each of the publication printed by the American Printing House for the Blind shall be furnished free of charge to the National Library for the Blind located at 1729 H Street Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia

Sec. 104. - Annual reports by trustees

The trustees of said American Printing House for the Blind shall annually make to the Secretary of Education a report of the items of their expenditure of the appropriation aforesaid during the year preceding their report, and shall annually furnish him with a voucher from each public or private nonprofit institution for the education of the blind, showing that the amount of books and tangible apparatus due has been received

Sec. 105. - Books for Library of Congress

The distribution of embossed books manufactured by the American Printing House for the Blind at Louisville, Kentucky, out of the income of the fund provided by sections 101, 102, and 104 of this title, shall include one copy of every book so manufactured to be deposited in the Library of Congress at Washington

Sec. 106. - Purchases through the General Services Administration

On and after September 8, 1978, the American Printing House for the Blind is authorized to make purchases through the General Services Administration

Sec. 106a. - Financial and program audit by Secretary

Funds appropriated in this Act or subsequent Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Acts to the American Printing House for the Blind shall be subject to financial and program audit by the Secretary of Education and the Secretary may withhold all or any portion of these appropriations if he determines that an institution has not cooperated fully in the conduct of such audits

Designation Form For Ex Officio Trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.

Use this form to designate an EOT (opens in a new window).

APH LARGE PRINT TEXTBOOK REQUEST FORM

Order a large print textbook with this form (opens in a new window).

APH BRAILLE TEXTBOOK REQUEST FORM

Order a braille textbook with this form (opens in a new window).

Authorization for use of APH Federal Quota Order Management System

Authorization form for APH Federal Quota Order Management System access (opens in a new window).

Federal Quota Order Form

Federal Quota Order Form (HTML) (opens in a new window). Federal Quota Order Form (PDF) (opens in a new window).

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