2003 Survey of Users of APH Products: Measuring Our Performance and Identifying Your Priorities

2003 Survey of Users of APH Products:
Measuring Our Performance and Identifying Your Priorities

In the August APH News, we promised to be in touch with formal opportunity for you to provide customer satisfaction feedback to us at APH. Recently, each Trustee was sent a simple-but-important survey regarding the products we provide and priorities for new product development. The survey will also be available on our website during October for other users of our products. We encourage all who use our products in an education or rehabilitation setting to take a few minutes to measure our performance and to voice their priorities.

The survey has been designed to accomplish several purposes.

Data Collection for US Department of Education: As defined by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Department of Education (DOE) requires APH to provide annual data showing the impact of the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind (the Federal Quota Program) on the educational programs of visually impaired students. We rely on you, our primary constituency and consumers, to provide feedback that will be included in the data that we report to DOE.
Field-based priority setting for new product development: We have been working on a comprehensive plan for APH's entire spectrum of product development - the identification, selection, development, and management of appropriate products. The overarching goal of our planning is: "To establish and implement a comprehensive set of processes, criteria, and cycles through which APH assures that the selection, development, and range of educational products are founded upon field-based priorities."

The priorities and processes in each of these arenas are to be centered on field-based input that directly reflects the needs of visually impaired learners as well as national priorities, research findings, promising practices, and other unifying paradigms in the education of blind and visually impaired students (e.g., Expanded Core. Curriculum, state standards). Survey items 8 through 10 are aimed at gathering your input regarding the priority areas upon which APH should focus its development of new products. Your responses will assist APH decision makers in their efforts to be increasingly more responsive to the needs of students and clients
Suggestions for revision of existing products and ideas for new products: In addition to identifying concepts for new products, APH must assure that its existing products are in keeping with current trends and sound educational practices. The two open-ended questions at the end of the survey are aimed at gathering input that will assist us with both of these goals.

We encourage you use this survey to share your thoughts and experiences with us. We also ask that you encourage anyone who has used our products in the past 12 months to go to our website survey and do likewise! Your honest responses and direction will help us make a difference!

NOTE: If you are an Ex Officio Trustee and did not receive a copy of the survey, please contact Cindy Amback at APH. She can be reached at 1-800-223-1839, extension 257.