The Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind was enacted by Congress in 1879. This act is a means for providing adapted educational materials to eligible individuals.  Annual registration of eligible individuals determines a per capita amount of money designated for the purchase of educational materials produced by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). These funds are credited to Federal Quota accounts which are maintained and administered by APH and its Ex Officio Trustees throughout the country. New York State’s fund administrator is located at the New York State Resource Center for the Visually Impaired (NYSRCVI) in Batavia, New York.

The annual registration form is for individuals who are legally blind and newly enrolled in your school/agency by January 1, 2025.  Please do not re-register an individual if he/she was previously registered by you or another school/agency unless the individual is new to your school/agency prior to January 1, 2025. If you are unsure about an individual’s registration status, please contact Lisa DeSantis at Lisa.DeSantis@nysed.gov. Your cooperation in designating one person for this process is appreciated and will help to eliminate duplication of registrations.

Eligibility Requirement for Students:

For students to be counted in the census as eligible for registration in the Federal Quota Program, they MUST meet the following requirements as outlined in the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind:

• Meet the Definition of Blindness (MDB) - central visual acuity of 20/200 or less (using a Snellen chart or an acuity determined in Snellen equivalents) in the better eye with best correction or a peripheral field of vision no greater than 20 degrees.
  or

• Function at the Definition of Blindness (FDB) – when visual function meets the definition of blindness as determined by an eye care specialist (ophthalmologist or optometrist) or a medical doctor such as a neurologist.  Students in this category manifest unique visual characteristics often found in conditions referred to as neurological, cortical, or cerebral blindness or low vision (e.g., brain injury or dysfunction).
• Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) - If neither MDB nor FDB are met, students may also be eligible for this federal program because they qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of blindness: an impairment in vision, that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance [34 CFR §300.8(c)(13)].

Requirements for eligibility also include the following:

• School-aged and preschool students, toddlers and infants must be enrolled with the registering school/agency on the first Monday in January
• Students must be enrolled in a formally organized public or private, nonprofit educational program of less than college level. Educational programs include public, private, parochial, homebound and homeschool.
• Students must have an individualized education program (IEP) for students eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), an individualized family service plan (IFSP) or any other written education plan.
• School-aged students registered with the U.S Department of Education, aged 22 and over, are required by the federal government to be registered as adults in their grade field. 
• Adult students should be registered by an agency serving adults in a vocational or rehabilitation program.  They must be registered for at least 120 hours throughout the preceding calendar year. Social and leisure programs do not qualify as instruction.  Student practice to develop skills can be included in instructional hours.
• Parent permissions for students 18 and under and legal guardian permissions for students of any age.
• There is no chronological age limit for eligibility. Federal law limits registration to persons working at less than college level but places no restriction on the ages of eligible students.

Directions for Completing the Registration Form:

The attached 2024-25 Annual Registration Form for Individuals Classified as Legally Blind must be completed and received no later than March 1, 2025. The per capita amount of money designated for the purchase of educational materials produced by APH is contingent on appropriate registration of eligible individuals. It is important that the following information be completed on the registration form:

• Level of Visual Functionality Codes (i.e., MDB or FDB)

• Grade codes as described below:

• IP – Infants: Children birth to three years of age served by infant programs.
• PS – Preschool: Children of preschool age served by preschool 
• programs.
• KG – Kindergarten: Children enrolled in kindergarten classes.
• 01-12 – School Age:  Determined by State law, in regular academic
• grades 1 through 12.  Please indicate grade placement by using numerals 01 through 12.
• 12+ - Students who are in grade 12 or are continuing to receive special education services under the IDEA until student turns age twenty-two (22).
• AD – All individuals above the State’s age/grade limitation for high school.

Maintenance of Records:

The following documents must be kept on file by the school/agency in the event an audit is conducted, and evidence of the individual's educational program or visual acuity is required:

• A written education plan for each individual registered that verifies the individual is in a formally organized educational program. This verification may be an IEP, a Section 504 Accommodation Plan or any other written action plan.

New York State Education law section 2-d: 

Registration forms cannot be emailed due to data security. Completed registration forms must be faxed or mailed to the following:

• Individuals in New York City, forms must be mailed to:  Educational Vision Services, Attn:  Jeannine Hobbes, 400 First Avenue, 7^th Floor, New York, New York 10010 or Faxed (718) 706-4554.  You can reach Jeannine at JHobbes@schools.nyc.gov or (917) 256-4259 with questions.
• Individuals enrolled at the New York State School for the Blind, Lavelle School for the Blind, Helen Keller National Center for Deaf Blind Youths and Adults, and the New York Institute for Special Education are registered through their own Ex-Officio Trustees and should not be sent to the NYSRCVI.
• For all other schools/agencies including those in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, registration forms can be mailed to: New York State Resource Center for the Visually Impaired, 229 State Street, Batavia, New York 14020, Faxed to (585) 343-0652.  You can reach Lisa DeSantis at Lisa.DeSantis@nysed.gov or (585) 343-5384 ext. 207 with questions.

Once an individual is approved for APH materials, schools/agencies need to assign the responsibility of ordering materials to one person who can also act as a contact between the school/agency and the NYSRCVI to track the orders and use of the school/agency’s total allotment.  All orders should be emailed to Lisa DeSantis at Lisa.DeSantis@nysed.gov or Robert Graham at Robert.Graham@nysed.gov. Materials acquired with Federal Quota Program funds are considered New York State property. Any questions regarding procedures for ordering APH materials may be referred to Lisa or Robert at the above email addresses or by calling (585) 343‑5384, ext. 418. All requested information MUST be included when ordering or the order may be returned causing a delay in the arrival of materials.  Forms for ordering books and materials can be found on the Office of Special Education Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) and Unified English Braille (UEB) webpage.

Please Note: Obtaining instructional materials in alternative formats is a process that requires sufficient lead time and clear and timely communication among school/agency personnel.  Orders should be placed as soon as possible so individuals have access to their instructional materials in a timely manner. It generally takes approximately three to four months for texts to be converted to large print. It takes an average of three to six months for straight literary text (without mathematics, special symbols or graphics) to be converted to Braille.  Mathematics, music, science, social studies or other textbooks containing symbols, maps, graphs and other graphics take an average of six to nine months or longer to produce. For more detailed information about APH materials and registration, visit the American Printing House website.

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