APH C OUNT 2015 A MERICAN P RINTING H OUSE FOR THE B LIND : F EDERAL Q UOTA R EGISTRATION P ROCESS

To promote the independence of blind and visually impaired persons by providing special media, tools, and materials needed for education and life. APH M ISSION

 Set up a system to provide free text books and educational aids for students who were blind and visually impaired  Named APH as the national central source for these materials  Created a permanent annual appropriation for APH to provide the materials T HE A CT T O P ROMOTE T HE E DUCATION OF THE B LIND

 System through which these materials are provided free of charge to eligible students  Annual census is conducted by APH  Congress appropriates funds to APH for the Federal Quota Program based on the census T HE F EDERAL Q UOTA P ROGRAM

 Phase 1 – Update, mark for deletion, and add new students – Ends March 15th every year  Phase 2 – Corrections and/or clarification of duplicates found by the SRS system  Phase 3 – Possible duplicates are handled –corrections and/or clarification of duplicates found by manual review of all registrants  Phase 4 – Finalize census: save final reports and spreadsheet, EOT submission of the Certificate of Attendance F EDERAL Q UOTA C ENSUS

E LIGIBILITY R EQUIREMENTS

 The APH Count is conducted annually beginning the first Monday in January.  The APH Count includes students who meet the definition of blindness.  The APH Count requires a process that validates whether a student qualifies based on APH requirements.  The APH Count provides resources based on the number of students who qualify and the allocated dollar by Congress.

Students must meet the following requirements:  Meet the definition of blindness, 20/200, as diagnosed by a qualified professional. (i.e.: Optometrist, Neurologist, or Eye Care Specialist).  Be enrolled in private, public, or nonprofit educational programs, as well as home schooled.  Qualify under other disabilities such as Brain Injury, cortical vision impairment (CVI), or multiple disabilities when their visual function meets the definition of blindness. W HO Q UALIFIES ?

Registrants must meet the functionality requirement: * Meets the Definition of Blind (MDB) – a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction (using the Snellen Chart) or a visual field of 20 degrees or less or * Functions at the Definition of Blind (FDB) – when visual function meets the definition of blindness as determined by an eye care specialist (ophthalmologist of optometrist) or other medical doctor such as a neurologist * Less than college level work - federal law limits registration to persons working at less than college level

 No age limitation – must be enrolled in a formally organized public or private, nonprofit educational program of less than college level  School-aged students must be enrolled with their registering agency on the first Monday in January  Adult students must have been registered for 12 weeks in the previous calendar year with a minimum of 20 hours per week of documented intervention

 Adult Students - Social and leisure programs do not qualify as instruction  Infants must be in a formally organized program and have a written education plan  Home-schooled students must meet guidelines and/or procedures in effect within each individual state and have a written education plan

 Resources and instructional materials provided for eligible students.  Congress appropriates APH Quota Funds to purchase these resources and instructional materials.  The APH Quota Funds for each state are determined by the number of students registered on the count.  More Students Registered=More Resources W HY IS THE APH C OUNT I MPORTANT ?

APH R ESOURCES A VAILABLE

APH A VAILABLE R ESOURCES CONT.

Continuing students on the APH count:  Update and submit information on the 2015 Preliminary Student APH Count Registration Form  Complete and submit the 2015 APH Count Registration of a Legally Blind Student Form  Complete and submit 2015 APH Count Assurance Form  Keep on file eye reports and permission forms at local level H OW D O I R EGISTER M Y C ONTINUING S TUDENTS ?

 NHDOE is sending 2015 APH registration paperwork/information to prepare 2015 count  Please update and return 2015 APH registration paper work  Please remember eye reports permission forms are not required every year  Please call for any questions all are important!

New students on the APH Count:  Complete information on the 2015 APH Count Preliminary Student Registration Form  Complete the 2015 APH Count Registration of a Legally Blind Student Form  Complete APH Count Assurance Form  Keep on file eye reports and permission forms at local level H OW D O I R EGISTER N EW S TUDENTS ?

 Measurements of visual acuity must be current. Exceptions include students who are totally blind or whose eyes have been enucleated or who have proven non-changing eye conditions.  The actual eye report form is not to be submitted to APH, but must be on file at the local school or center where the student is enrolled in the event that an audit requires evidence of the student’s visual measurement. APH does not require or suggest that eye reports, or copies, be kept on file with Ex Officio Trustees. S UPPORTING D OCUMENTS

V ISION M EASUREMENT C HART Reporting CodeVisual Measurement MDB Meets the Definition of Blindness: Central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction; or a peripheral field so contracted that the widest diameter of such field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees Example: 20/200 20/400 Right and Left Eye Acuities Distance Vision: Measurement on an eye chart: 20/200 or less with maximum correction VF and degree of restriction (e.g., VF 20; VF 6) Visual Field: Restricted field of 20 degrees or less CF Counts Fingers: Should be used only when an eye specialist finds it is not possible to obtain an acuity by using an eye chart HM Hand Movements: Should be used only when an eye specialist finds it is not possible to obtain an acuity by using an eye chart OPObject Perception LPLight Perception NILTotally Blind FDB Functions at the Definition of Blindness: Visual performance reduced by a brain injury or dysfunction that meets the definition of blindness as determined by an eye specialist or neurologist

 Primary language used for instruction in the classroom  Ex Officio Trustees are requested to gather the primary instructional language of learner and report this data in the Student Registration System (SRS) EN – English SP – Spanish OT – Other P RIMARY L ANGUAGE D EFINITION

 IP Infants: Children of preschool age served by infant programs  PS Preschool Students: Children of preschool age served by preschool programs  KG Kindergarten Students: Children enrolled in kindergarten classes  Students of School Age: Determined by state law, in regular academic grades 1 through 12. Please indicate grade placement by using numerals 01 through 12 G RADE C ODES

 FC Functional Curriculum Students: Students in Grades working toward a graduation certificate or non-traditional diploma (replaced vocational)  TR Transition Students: Students of school age, as determined by state law, in secondary instructional programs designed to supplement the traditional curriculum (replaced post-graduate)  AN Academic Non-graded: Students of school age, as determined by state law, who are working to acquire skills necessary for placement in a regular grade.  OR Other 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) NOTE: Federal Government requires that all students above your state’s age/grade limitation for high school be registered as adults or AD! G RADE C ODES CONT.

 A = Auditory  B = Braille  N = Non-reader  PRE = Pre-reader (replaces the P codes used in the past)  V = Visual (large print readers) P RIMARY (PRM) R EADING M EDIA C ODES

Secondary Reading Medium (SRM)  A = Auditory  B = Braille  NA = Not Applicable  V = Visual (large print readers) Other Reading Medium (ORM)  Not a required field  Same codes as SRM  Defaults to NA S ECONDARY & O THER R EADING M EDIUM C ODES

R EQUIRED D OCUMENTATION

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:  Written education plan - for each student registered. This verification that the student is in a formally organized educational program may be an IEP, a 504, or any other written action plan  Measurements of visual acuity performed by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist must be indicated for each student. (Exceptions follow)

Measurements of visual acuity must be current (as defined by your agency, state, or governing authority). Exceptions include students who are totally blind or whose eyes have been enucleated or who have proven non-changing eye conditions. The actual eye report form is not to be submitted to APH, but must be on file at the local school or center where the student is enrolled in the event that an audit requires evidence of the student’s visual measurement. APH does not require or suggest that eye reports, or copies, be kept on file with Ex Officio Trustees.

 Phase I of the 2015 APH Count is conducted from: Monday, January 5, 2015 to Friday, February 13, 2015 No students can be registered beyond Friday, February 13,  Phase II allows time to complete information originally submitted to the APH Count  Phase III validates and finalizes the APH Count for that year T HINGS TO R EMEMBER

Dr. Maynard Wheeler, Concord Eye Care:  Volunteers his time to work on the 2015 APH Count  He will confirm or decide if a student is eligible should you have questions.  Please work with Mary Lane to send Dr. Wheeler current documentation and consent forms.  Contact Mary at or D R. M AYNARD W HEELER

 You will receive your 2015 APH Count Registration Packets in November 2014  Please contact either Mary Lane at or by phone at or Stacey Welch at or by phone with any questions and concerns about the 2015 APH  Our goal is to find all students eligible for the 2015 APH Count. APH C OUNT R EGISTRATION P ACKETS AND Q UESTIONS

 APH Count qualifies students to receive instructional materials  APH Count is part of NHAIM  APH Count students can benefit from technical assistance and training to districts N EW H AMPSHIRE A CCESSIBLE I NSTRUCTIONAL M ATERIALS (NHAIM)

You are a very valuable part of the Federal Quota Program! T HANK Y OU !