APH News & Press
Federal Budget Sets Appropriation for APH
News Release: Louisville, Kentucky, April 26, 1996
The FY 1996 appropriation for the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) will be signed by President Clinton today. Funding is set at $6.68 million, level with last year's figure. APH's annual appropriation had been threatened with a 40% cut when the House of Representatives began the budget process last summer.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Representative Mike Ward (D-KY) have both been outspoken advocates for the restoration of funding. This bipartisan support from both sides of Congress has been especially critical. Senator McConnell's work in the Senate Appropriation Committee and Representative Ward's efforts in the House combined to send a strong message about the importance of continued financial support for APH.
In addition, a grassroots campaign by ex officio trustees of APH and the parents and teachers of blind children across the U.S. has been an effective tool for voicing opposition to any reduction in APH's annual appropriation.
"Obviously, we're thrilled with this news," says APH President Dr. Tuck Tinsley. "However, this is only one battle in the war. Mitch McConnell and Mike Ward have shown they are committed to giving our nation's blind and visually impaired students the opportunity for a quality education. We must continue to convey this message to all the members of the Appropriations Committees, stressing the importance of the fact that this money is an investment in our nation's future."
APH receives federal money to supply more than 54,000 legally blind students across the nation with braille textbooks and other appropriate educational materials through the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind which was passed by Congress in 1879.
Established in Louisville in 1858, APH is the world's largest and the nation's oldest nonprofit manufacturer of aids for visually impaired people. Our mission is to promote the independence of blind people by providing special media, tools, and materials needed for education and life.
Contact Roberta Williams, Public Relations Specialist, for more information. Telephone: 1 -800-223-1839 or (502) 895-2405; e-mail: rwilliams@aph.org