Legal Definitions - American Printing House for the Blind

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is a national organization that receives federal funding to produce and distribute specialized educational materials for students who are blind or visually impaired. Its primary mission is to ensure that these children have access to the same learning opportunities as their sighted peers by providing essential resources such as Braille textbooks, audiobooks, and various instructional tools, all free of charge.

• Imagine a third-grade student named Maya, who is blind, starting a new school year. Her public school receives a complete set of Braille textbooks for her math and science classes directly from the American Printing House for the Blind.

  Explanation: This illustrates how APH directly provides essential learning materials, like Braille textbooks, to blind students through their educational institutions, ensuring they have the necessary tools to participate fully in their curriculum without cost to their family or school.

• A special education teacher in a rural school district needs specialized tactile maps and a Braille-enabled calculator for her visually impaired high school student, Alex, who is studying geography and advanced mathematics. She places an order through her state's quota funds, which are managed by APH.

  Explanation: This demonstrates APH's role in distributing a wider range of "educational aids" beyond just books. It highlights how schools can access these specialized tools for their students, funded federally through APH, ensuring students like Alex have access to appropriate learning technology.

• For her English literature class, a visually impaired college preparatory student, Chloe, needs to read several classic novels. Instead of purchasing expensive large-print or audio versions, her school accesses the required "talking books" (audiobooks) for her through the resources provided by the American Printing House for the Blind.

  Explanation: This showcases APH's provision of "talking books" as a critical resource for academic study. It emphasizes that these materials are made available free of charge, enabling students like Chloe to engage with required reading in an accessible format.