National Prison Braille Network
The APH National Prison Braille Network (NPBN) serves the dual purpose of providing educational and employment opportunities to individuals who are incarcerated and ex-offenders, as well as timely educational materials to children who are blind or low vision. Through this partnership, much-needed quality braille textbooks are created in prisons across the U.S. for students who are blind in grades K-12.
Research, Evaluation, and Digital Information Services (READS)
- The Louis Database of Accessible Materials (Louis), contains over 1 million accessible materials produced by over 50 organizations throughout the United States and Canada. These materials include educational materials in braille, large print, audio, and electronic file format.
- The APH Library houses approximately 25,000 print, audio, video, and other resources, including 9,600 digitized items. Materials housed in the APH Library support the research, business, and educational needs of APH staff while also supporting visiting researchers and those pursuing careers in the education of the blind. The M.C. Migel Memorial Collection, housed within the APH Library, promotes research, education, as well as social and cultural awareness, by collecting and providing access to non-medical materials related to blindness and visual impairment.
- The Tactile Graphics Image Library (TGIL) provides free access to tactile graphic templates to promote good tactile designs and to help facilitate communication between those involved with the design and execution of tactile graphics. The TGIL is available for use on the Monarch.
- The National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) is a federally funded, online file repository of K-12 instructional materials source files in the NIMAS source file format. Authorized users can access NIMAS files for use in the production of accessible formats for students with disabilities.
Monarch Student Pilot Project
The Monarch Student Pilot Project (MSPP) is an initiative designed to expand student access to cutting-edge refreshable braille technology. Our goal is to empower young braille readers by providing them with year-round access to Monarch, while also gathering valuable insights from both students and educators to help improve the technology and its classroom integration.
APH ConnectCenter
Welcome to the APH ConnectCenter! This website offers FREE curated advice and resources to assist children, parents, adults, and job seekers who are blind or low vision, and their associated professionals. You can learn more about vision loss and navigating blindness and low vision with our Getting Started guides. Learn more about our ConnectCenter services at the websites below:
- FamilyConnect: Find support and resources for families of children who are blind or low vision.
- CareerConnect: Find employment information, tools, and guidance for job seekers who are blind or low vision or for employers who work with individuals who are blind or low vision.
- VisionAware: Designed for adults and seniors who are living with vision loss.
Outreach Services
APH’s Outreach Services team strives to increase awareness about the many resources and services offered by APH. Outreach Services consists of three branches:
- Regional Outreach Specialists – These experienced professionals are charged with sharing craft knowledge across the field, building local networks of support, assisting with APH products and services, and facilitating solutions. They also host various programming like the Abacus Bee and National Coding Symposium to help engage and empower students.
- APH Hive – Buzz over to the APH Hive, APH’s FREE eLearning platform for educators and families that can be accessed at any time from the comfort of your home or office. With a growing course catalog covering categories like Early Childhood, Expanded Core Curriculum, and more, we want to give you the tools you need to support students. All you have to do is sign up, watch the course content at your leisure, and complete the follow up assignment to get your certificate for ACVREP credit! Register for the Hive and get started today.
- Census for the Federal Quota Program – Federal Quota accounts are maintained and administered by 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.
Welcome Everyone
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