Special Education

New York State Resource Center for the Visually Impaired

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Registration of Students Classified as Legally Blind for Procurement of Special Media Materials Produced by the American Printing House for the Blind

Students who are legally blind must have been registered with the NYS Education Department and the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) census program. Both registration processes are administered by the New York State School for the Blind Resource Center/Outreach Department, located in Batavia, New York. Below are instruction and forms for the annual census of NEW students who are legally blind.

Eligibility for Federal Quota Registration
In order for students to be eligible for registration in the Federal Quota Program, they MUST meet the requirements as outlined in An Act to Promote the Education of the Blind.

Students must:

  • meet the definition of blindness--"central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction; a peripheral field so contracted that the widest diameter of such field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees; or visual performance reduced by a brain injury or dysfunction when visual function meets the definition of blindness as determined by an eye care specialist or neurologist."
  • be enrolled in a formally organized public or private, nonprofit educational program of less than college level.
  • be enrolled with the registering school or agency on the first Monday in January.

The educational programs providing services to these students can include public, private, and parochial schools.

* Please do not re-register a student if the student was previously registered. If you are unsure about a student’s registration status, you may inquire by calling (585) 343-5384, extension 207. Your cooperation in designating one person from each school district for this process is appreciated, and will help to eliminate duplication of registrations.

Documents

   I. Registration Form PDF PDF form (December 2021)

    1. To register please follow one of the options below:
      a) Complete the registration form at the end of the memo and mail to the address at the top of the form
      c) or email directly to Lisa DeSantis lisa.desantis@nysed.gov
      d) or fax to (585) 343-0652.

   II. APH Quota Form - To order materials from APH Order Form

   III. Book Request Form PDF PDF form (61 KB).

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Services offered by the NYS Resource Center:

  1. Ordering of APH Textbooks and Instructional Materials from Federal Quota Funds
  2. Textbook Depository that lends Braille and Large Print school based textbooks and literature
  3. NIMAS/NIMAC information regarding materials and ordering
  4. Technical Information, Consultation, and Referral Service for educational needs of students who are Blind and Visual Impaired

Contact Information:

NYS Resource Center for Blind, Visually Impaired
2A Richmond Avenue
Batavia, NY 14020

Lisa DeSantis
(585) 343-5384, ext 207
lisa.desantis@nysed.gov
Fax: (585) 343-0652

Robert Graham
(585) 343-5384, ext 418
robert.graham@nysed.gov
Fax: (585) 343-0652

image of stacked booksNIMAC/NIMAS

To learn more about accessible books open the following presentation
go to the NYS Special Education Department:
Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)

Additional NIMAS documents:

Or view the following documents for further information:
NIMAC/NIMAS powerpoint PowerPoint icon (3.3 MB) *Please use Internet Explorer to view this presentation. OR PDF pdf format (1.5 MB)

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Last Updated: December 22, 2021