The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) provides materials for individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired (BVI). The Federal Quota Program provides funds for participating states and agencies to purchase educational materials from APH.

Congress appropriates the funds through the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. APH and its Ex Officio Trustees manage the funds. Roxanne Balfour serves as the Ex Officio Trustee for Michigan.

Federal Quota Census

Funds are allocated annually based on student information collected through the Federal Quota census.

For MDE-LIO to receive these funds, specific information for each eligible child is gathered and reported. Each year, school districts help MDE-LIO collect, compile, and submit this information to APH.

All of the information reported is confidential under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The information is not shared outside the census process for any reason, unless permitted by state or federal law.

How Information is Collected and Reported

MDE-LIO collects student data through an online APH census system. During the first phase of the APH census, a designated representative from each district is given access to the online system. The district representative is then able to add, remove, and update student information for a specific period of time. After the deadline passes, MDE-LIO verifies the information and sends it to APH.

Consent Requirement

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) requires parent/guardian consent for MDE-LIO to release personally identifiable information to APH. This helps inform parents of the process. Parents and guardians may decline to consent; however, this means that APH funds will not be available to the school district for the student.

School districts are responsible for collecting and retaining all parent consent forms. Please do not send these forms to MDE-LIO. In the event of an audit, the district will be responsible for providing any necessary documentation. This includes, but is not limited to, parent consent forms related to the APH Federal Quota Census.

If an eligible student moves to a new district, the new district will need to obtain a new parent consent form.

Questions

For questions about the Federal Quota Program, please email Roxanne Balfour at [email protected].