[Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Commends Department of Education for New Guidelines on Braille Instruction

[David Andrews]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
National Federation of the Blind Commends Department of Education
for New Guidelines on Braille Instruction
Baltimore, Maryland (June 19, 2013): <http://www.nfb.org/>The 
National Federation of the Blind commended the Department of 
Education for guidelines on Braille instruction issued in 
<http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/brailledcl-6-19-13.doc>a 
Dear Colleague Letter earlier today. The letter clarifies the 
provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 
regarding Braille instruction.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of 
<http://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind>the National 
Federation of the Blind, said: "We commend the Department of 
Education for recognizing that every blind child needs to be given 
the opportunity to learn Braille. Knowing how to read and write 
Braille is critical to the ultimate success of blind children. The 
department's action today puts school administrators on notice that 
Braille instruction must be provided to blind children unless a 
thorough and rigorous evaluation demonstrates that Braille is not 
appropriate. The guidelines also make it clear that Braille is 
appropriate for blind children who have some vision, especially if 
their eye condition is degenerative and they are therefore likely to 
continue to lose vision. Finally, the guidelines emphasize that 
external factors like the expense of providing Braille instruction or 
the availability of audio or other alternative formats cannot be used 
as an excuse to deny Braille instruction to blind children. We hope 
and believe that these clarifications will reverse the harmful 
decline in Braille instruction that has left too many blind people 
functionally illiterate, and will restore Braille to its proper place 
as the most effective reading and writing medium for blind people."
"The U.S. Department of Education is committed to ensuring that 
children who are blind and visually impaired have access to Braille 
instruction and Braille materials," said Michael Yudin, Acting 
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
at the Department of Education. "The ability to read and write 
Braille competently and efficiently is critical to ensuring students 
who are blind and visually impaired graduate from high school college 
and career ready."
On May 1, 2012, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, along with 
twenty-five Senate cosigners, 
<https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-commends-senator-murray-braille-literacy-letter>wrote 
to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to express concern that blind 
students in America were not receiving adequate instruction in 
Braille, the recognized reading and writing medium for the blind, and 
were therefore falling behind their sighted peers in school.
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About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest, largest, 
and most influential nationwide membership organization of blind 
people in the United States. Founded in 1940, the NFB advocates for 
the civil rights and equality of blind Americans, and develops 
innovative education, technology, and training programs to provide 
the blind and those who are losing vision with the tools they need to 
become independent and successful. We need your support. To make a 
donation, please go to <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org.
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