[nfbmi-talk] Michigan Braille Literacy Bill

[Fred Wurtzel]

Hello,

 

In the Winter and Spring of 2000 Michigan  Federationsts after 12 long years
of effort finally got a Braille Literacy bill passed.  It is a good bill.
However, any law is only as good as its enforcement.  Dispite nearly 20
years of waiting, we still have no regulations implementing the law.  Many
blind students still face difficulty receiving quality educations.  Some
districts do well, while others are epic fails.  Most are somewhere between.
No blind child or parent should have to argue for quality services.  The law
is on their side.

 

Many of you may not be aware of the language of Michigan's Braille bill.  It
is relatively short and rather plainly written.  I am pasting it in below
for your convenience.  I am hoping for some increased awareness and some
conversations at our upcoming convention about how to finish our hard work 2
decades later. 

 

As a note, our legislation amended Act 451 of 1976, so that is why you will
see reference to that act.Here is the law:

 

Act 451 of 1976 

 

 

380.1704 Short title of section; standards for teachers of blind and
visually impaired pupils; providing information advocating braille
instruction; electronic file format versions of textbooks or braille
versions; pupil with some remaining vision; instruction consistent with
other pupils; definitions. 

 

 

Sec. 1704. 

 

(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "blind pupil's
Braille literacy law". 

 

(2) The department shall adopt Braille reading and writing standards for
teachers of blind and visually impaired pupils and shall disseminate these
standards to all school districts, intermediate school districts, and
teacher preparation programs. These standards shall be included in the rules
governing special education programs and services. In establishing these
standards, the department shall consider the standards adopted by the
national library service for the blind and physically handicapped of the
United States library of congress. 

 

(3) When a local or intermediate school district receives information from
the department, or information that is approved by the department from a
consumer organization that advocates for the blind, describing the benefits
of instruction in Braille reading and writing, the local or intermediate
school district shall provide this information to each person on the blind
pupil's individualized educational planning committee. 

 

(4) The department shall accept and respond to requests from local and
intermediate school districts and shall work with textbook publishers to
obtain electronic file format versions of textbooks or Braille versions of
textbooks, or both. The department may also, on behalf of local and
intermediate school districts, request and arrange for converting an
electronic file format version of a textbook to a Braille version. The
department shall process and make these requests in a timely manner. 

 

(5) Upon request, a publisher of a textbook that is adopted for
instructional use by a school district shall furnish the department with an
electronic version of the textbook if the textbook is for a literary subject
or, for a textbook for a nonliterary subject, if the technology is available
to convert the textbook directly to a format compatible with Braille
translation software. A publisher shall not charge a price for this
electronic version that exceeds the price it charges for the print or
electronic media version of the textbook. 

 

(6) A local or intermediate school district or an individualized educational
planning committee shall not deny a pupil the opportunity for instruction in
Braille reading and writing solely because the pupil has some remaining
vision. 

 

(7) Instruction for blind pupils shall be consistent with the goals and
standards established by this state for all pupils. 

 

(8) As used in this section: 

 

(a) "Blind pupil" means a pupil who is determined to manifest 1 or more of
the following: 

 

(i) A visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye after routine
refractive correction. 

 

(ii) A field of vision that is limited so that the widest diameter of the
visual field subtends an angle not greater than 20 degrees. 

 

(iii) A medically indicated expectation of visual deterioration that is
expected to result in 1 or both of the conditions described in subparagraphs
(i) and (ii). 

 

(b) "Individualized education program" means that term as defined in section
614 of part B of title VI of the individuals with disabilities education
act, Public Law 91-230, 20 U.S.C. 1414, or in R 340.1701A of the Michigan
administrative code. 

 

(c) "Individualized educational planning committee" means that term as
defined in R 340.1701A of the Michigan administrative code or an
individualized education program team as defined in section 614 of part B of
title VI of the individuals with disabilities education act, Public Law
91-230, 20 U.S.C. 1414. 

 

(d) "Textbook" includes a text published in electronic media that is used
for instructional purposes. 

 

 

 

I hope reading this inspires you to get active on behalf of our blind
students.  We, with an organized and sustained effort can get this done by
our next convention.  We will need everyone to help.  

 

Warmest Regards,

 

Fred