Federal Quota FundsThe Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind enacted by Congress in 1879 provides adapted educational materials to eligible students who meet the definition of blindness. Learn more about Federal Quota Funds and why it's important to register every eligible student.
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What are Federal Quota Funds?The Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind enacted by Congress in 1879 provides adapted educational materials to eligible students who meet the definition of blindness. Each state holds an annual registration of eligible students 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.
Who is Eligible for the Funds?For students to be eligible for registration in the Federal Quota Program, they MUST meet the requirements as outlined in the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. Students must meet the requirements of one of the following two categories (This is different from the eligibility criteria for school-based vision-related services).
1. Meets the Definition of Blindness (MDB) is the primary category for eligible students and indicates a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction (with prescribed glasses, if any) and/or a peripheral field so contracted that the widest diameter of such field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees. 2. Functions at the Definition of Blindness (FDB) is a category indicating blindness due to a brain injury or dysfunction. A student whose visual performance is reduced by a brain injury or dysfunction may be considered for educational purposes when visual function meets the definition of blindness as determined by an eye care specialist or neurologist. Students in this category manifest unique visual characteristics often found in conditions referred to as neurological, cortical, or cerebral visual impairment. AND 1. Be enrolled in a formally organized public or private, nonprofit education program of less than college level; and 2. Be enrolled with the registering school or agency on the first Monday in January of each year. Adult students must be registered for at least three months of instruction during the preceding calendar year (an accumulation of 12 weeks). The educational programs providing services to these students can include public, private, and parochial schools. Infants, preschool children, home-bound students, home-schooled students, and adults can be registered when they meet the requirements. A written educational plan and a current eye report (within three years) by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist must be on file in the district/agency for each registered student. If the eye care specialist states the child meets the definition of blindness, is legally blind, or meets the Snellen equivalence of blindness, the school can report the vision as MDB. Documentation should be available If an audit requires evidence of the student's educational program or visual acuity. There is no chronological age limit for eligibility. However, for adults to be eligible for registration in the Federal Quota Program, they MUST meet the above-listed definition of blindness and: 1. Be enrolled in instructional programs, at less than college level, for 20 hours per week. Social and leisure programs do not qualify as instruction. However, student practice to develop skills can be included in instructional hours. 2. Be registered for at least three months of instruction during the preceding calendar year (an accumulation of 12 weeks). Spending GuidelinesFederal Quota money can only be used to order textbooks and items listed in the APH products catalog. Items marked with "Not available on Quota," cannot be ordered. Visit aph.org for more information.
Pro Tip!Be sure to hang on to at least one copy of past APH catalogs! Products change and pictures are not always included in every catalog. Having older copies can help you recall and identify parts to discontinued kits.
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TVI's Guide Complete Set Bundle + BONUS Resources
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TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community-based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites. In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included: ·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist ·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page. TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details ·      Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font) ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page. Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details: ·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency. For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details: ·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. Additional Use: Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code. For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details: ·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English BONUS! Lotto Cards The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. On My Way File Folder Cards Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27. NEW! Access to TVI's Guide Bonus Membership Pages Note: All products are digital pdf downloads. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number. If you encounter any difficulty, please let me know and I can assist you. |
