[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 41 (Friday, April 15, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 BLIND ARE UNABLE TO READ BRAILLE TODAY

                                 ______


                      HON. JAMES A. TRAFICANT, JR.

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 1994

  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, according to goal five of the recently 
enacted Goals 2000: Educate American Act: ``By the year 2000, every 
American will be literate.'' Yet, nearly half of all blind elementary 
and secondary level students cannot read Braille or print.
  In fact, the numbers of the blind who can read at all are declining. 
In 1968, out of 19,902 blind students enrolled in elementary and 
secondary education, 40 percent read Braille, 45 percent read large 
type or regular print, and 4 percent read both. In January, 1993, out 
of 50,204 blind students, fewer than 9 percent could read Braille, 27 
percent could read print, and 40 percent could not read at all. In 
other words, while there are 40,000 more blind children in school 
today, only 30 percent can read--a far cry from 95 percent in 1968. 
These figures reflect the shocking magnitude of the literacy crisis 
among the visually impaired in our Nation today.
  Basic literacy skills are a fundamental part of education. 
Undoubtedly, impaired vision can have a profound impact on reading and 
writing skills. Therefore, the selection of instructional materials and 
methodology such as Braille, large print, auditory instruction, or 
combinations thereof is a key decision in improving the literacy rate 
among the blind.
  Language designed to increase literacy among the visually impaired 
through the use and combinations of instructional materials has been 
enacted in 25 States. These State laws, as written, generally require 
blind students to receive a Braille literacy skills assessment to 
determine whether a student's visual impairment affects his or her 
ability to read and write proficiently. The proficiency standard, 
identical for the visually impaired and their sighted counterparts, is 
based on the student's ability and grade level.
  The Traficant ``Braille Literacy Amendment'' which I had intended to 
offer under H.R. 6, the Improving America's Schools Act is in essence, 
the same language enacted in 25 States. The Traficant amendment would 
have extended this language to all 50 States, requiring all States to 
develop a literacy plan for the blind and to manage existing funding to 
match those needs.
  During consideration of H.R. 6, the Improving America's Schools Act, 
several representative organizations of the blind community, as well as 
the committee itself, had objections to certain provisions and 
definitions in the amendment. As a result, I respectfully withdrew my 
amendment from consideration under H.R. 6.
  The issues of the declining rate of literacy among the visually 
impaired was first brought to my attention by the National Federal of 
the Blind. My intent, however, was and still is to assist the entire 
blind community. My intent is to ensure that every American, regardless 
of race, religion, economic background, or physical disability, is 
literate or is given every opportunity to perform to the best of his or 
her ability.

  Representative organizations of blind community and I are currently 
in the process of negotiating and working together to reach a consensus 
on language that everyone, including the committee, can agree upon. The 
Traficant amendment is the foundation from which a consensus will be 
derived. With the support of the blind community, I stand ready to 
submit the consensus agreement to the committee once it has been 
finalized.
  The basic provisions of the Traficant amendment, which in principle 
will be maintained in the consensus agreement are as follows:
  The first section calls for an individual assessment of each 
student's literacy skills. Based on the assessment, each student would 
then receive an appropriate level of instruction of Braille to ensure 
the student is able to read and write on the same level as their 
sighted counterparts.
  Under the current system, if a visually impaired student has some 
visual acuity, he or she is taught to read standard print. This is 
appropriate for most children, but there are some with progressive eye 
conditions who will lose sight as time goes on. As the print shrinks, 
as the white space and pictures disappear, and as the assignments 
lengthen, the student finds it more and more difficult to accomplish 
the simple task of reading, let alone the more complex task of learning 
the material. Without fundamental Braille instruction in the early 
grades, the student is forced to learn it years later when it is more 
difficult, falling further and further behind his peers. The amendment 
instructs parents and teachers to take steps to ensure that literacy 
will be retained by the child into adulthood, regardless of the medium 
used to achieve this goal, and instructs the teaching of an alternative 
medium if print will not meet this standard. Braille instruction, based 
on an assessment of a student's literacy skills and physical 
disability, is necessary component in any literacy program for the 
blind.
  The second section establishes teacher competency standards for 
Braille instruction and specialized training for special and general 
education teachers.
  Under the current system, an applicant for teacher certification to 
teach the visually impaired may have attended a college or university 
which passes students without making them demonstrate competence in 
reading and writing Braille. Under the Improving America's School Act 
we required all general education teachers to be masters in any subject 
area that they teach. Braille instructors should be held to the same 
standard by demonstrating competency in reading and writing Braille.
  The third section facilitates production of Braille and digital texts 
and materials at essentially no cost to education agencies or textbook 
publishers. The digital format would give local education agencies 
ready access and reproduction of Braille an printed text with very 
little time and expense.
  Until about 5 years ago, the only way to produce a Braille book was 
for someone to sit down with a printed copy of the book and copy it 
into Braille with a Braille writer, one letter at a time. With a 
digitized version of the book, books can be produced by computers as 
easily as it could be printed. Digital text requirements would make 
most textbooks readily available in Braille at a minimal cost. The 
development of a national disk depository from which States could 
borrow could greatly defray costs as well.
  Finally, the Traficant amendment does not authorize new funding. The 
amendment requires schools for the blind to develop a literacy plan. By 
developing a plan, evaluating the reading level of the students, and 
obtaining digital texts for cost-effective reproduction, schools will 
be better able to manage existing funding to meet the needs of the 
students. Of the 25 States that have already established a similar 
program, all have done so with minimal or no additional cost. Schools 
for the blind currently receive a direct Federal appropriation for 
literacy programs under IDEA. This appropriation has been in existence 
since 1879. The 1994 appropriation for IDEA was $6.5 million.

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