Department of Education

AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language ......................................................................................................... 1

Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers .............................................................................. 2

Summary of Changes............................................................................................................... 3

Authorizing Legislation ............................................................................................................. 4

Appropriations History .............................................................................................................. 5

American Printing House for the Blind ................................................................................. 6

AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Appropriations Language

For carrying out the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind of March 3, 1879, 

$43,431,000. (Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2023.)
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2022 2023 2024

Discretionary:

Discretionary Appropriation $40,431 $43,431 $43,431

Discretionary budget authority: Total, discretionary appropriation 40,431 43,431 43,431
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2023 $43,431

2024 43,431

Net change 0
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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4

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2023

Authorized

2023

Appropriation

2024

Authorized

2024

Request

The Act to Promote the Education of the Blind

(20 U.S. C. 101 et. seq.) Indefinite $43,431 Indefinite $43,431

Total annual appropriation 43,431 43,431
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Footnote AppropriationFootnote

20151 $24,456 N/A $25,000 $24,931

20162 24,931 $25,431 24,931 25,431

20173 25,431 25,431 25,431 25,431

20184 25,383 26,431 25,431 27,431

20195 25,431 28,431 30,431 30,431

20206 25,431 39,000 31,931 32,431

20217 32,431 32,931 34,431 34,431

20228 37,431 37,341 41,431 40,431

20239 37,431 43,431 43,431 43,431

2024 43,431

1 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action. The level for the Senate 

allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only.

2 The levels for House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2016 appropriations bill, which 

proceeded in the 114th Congress only through the House Committee and Senate Committee.

3 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2017 

appropriations bill.

4 The level for the House allowance reflects floor action on the Omnibus appropriations bill; the Senate allowance 

reflects Committee action on the regular annual 2018 appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141). 5 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2019 

appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects enactment of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human 

Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 115-245). 6 The Senate allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects the Further Consolidated 

Appropriation Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94). 7 The level for the Senate Allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects Division H of the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260). 8 The House allowance reflects floor action; the Senate allowance reflects the Chair’s mark; and the Appropriation 

reflects Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103). 9 The House allowance reflects the regular annual FY 2023 appropriation, which was introduced on the floor; the 

Senate allowance reflects the Chair’s mark; and the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 

(P.L. 117-328).
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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American Printing House for the Blind

(Act to Promote the Education of the Blind (20 U.S.C. 101 et seq.))

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2024 Authorization: Indefinite

Budget Authority: 

American Printing House for the Blind

2023 Appropriation 2024 Request Change

$43,431 $43,431 0

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Act to Promote the Education of the Blind authorizes an annual appropriation for the 

American Printing House (APH) for the Blind to produce and distribute educational materials 

adapted for students who are legally blind and enrolled in formal educational programs below 

the college level. The APH, located in Louisville, Kentucky, has received Federal support under 

this Act since 1879. Materials produced by APH include textbooks in braille and large type;

educational tools such as braille typewriters and computer software and hardware; teaching 

aides, including tests and performance assessments; and other specialized supplies. State 

educational agencies and programs serving persons who are blind may order materials free of 

charge up to the amount of funds allocated to each State for educational materials. 

Approximately 66 percent of the appropriation is used to cover the cost of producing these 

educational materials. The APH uses the remainder of the appropriated funds to conduct 

research and to provide outreach services to professional and consumer organizations.

The APH conducts research necessary to develop and improve educational materials in core 

curriculum areas such as science, mathematics, English language arts, and social studies, and 

adapts testing materials related to these subject areas. APH also conducts research in product 

areas related to the unique needs of the visually impaired population, such as braille reading, 

orientation and mobility, and assistive technology. In addition, APH produces special materials 

in areas such as early intervention and early childhood education, prevocational training, and 

the functional use of residual vision.

Outreach services provided by the APH include: administration of the Student Registration 

System, the Louis Database of Accessible Materials, and the Electronic File Repository and 

Expert Database; National Instructional Partnership activities; and the production of catalogs, 

brochures, videos, and a wide variety of web-based information. APH also convenes expert 

advisory committees and focus groups to address specific issues, as necessary.

APH materials are reviewed by a six-member Educational Products Advisory Committee 

charged with ensuring that all educational materials produced and research undertaken by APH 

effectively focus on meeting the needs of students who are blind. In addition, a five-member 

Educational Services Advisory Committee provides oversight and accountability regarding 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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APH’s outreach and support services. Both committees are composed of ex officio trustees who 

are the State officials responsible for administering APH accounts.

APH materials are distributed to programs serving blind students through allotments of funds to 

the States. These allotments are based on an annual census (conducted by APH) of the 

number of legally blind students located in each State and are provided in the form of credits, 

which trustees use to order materials from APH. These materials are also available for purchase 

by the trustees and the general public at https://www.aph.org/shop/. 

Materials provided through the APH appropriation supplement the various other resources 

available to the States. For example, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 

requires States to provide a free appropriate public education, including appropriate related 

materials and supplies, to all students with disabilities. In order to meet their responsibilities 

under the IDEA, many States make additional purchases from APH and other suppliers of 

materials for students who are visually impaired.

In fiscal year 2022, Federal funding provided through the APH appropriation represented 

73.7 percent of APH’s total actual revenue of approximately $54.9 million. Federal grants and 

contracts from agencies such as the National Library Service for the Blind and Veterans 

Administration represented another 3.7 percent. The remaining 22.6 percent of APH’s revenue 

came from nongovernmental contracts and revenue generated from the sale of unsubsidized 

products to State and local agencies, direct sales to individuals who are blind, private sector 

contract sales, corporate and individual donations from the private sector, and interest income 

from endowments and other investments.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2019 $30,431

2020 32,431

2021 34,431

2022 40,431

2023 43,431

FY 2024 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2024, the Administration requests $43.4 million for the American Printing House 

for the Blind (APH), level with the fiscal year 2023 appropriation. The request would provide 

resources to support services in each of the three program areas (educational materials, 

outreach services, and research) and APH’s regional partnership. 

Educational Materials: The request includes $28.4 million for educational materials, or an 

estimated $504 in direct support per eligible student. APH provides adapted and specially 

designed educational materials including textbooks in braille and large type, tangible teaching 

devices, educational tests, and special instructional aids, tools, and other materials essential for 

the education of students who are blind. APH manufactures these instructional materials for a 

broad range of academic subjects and grade levels. In fiscal year 2022, approximately 

700 educational products were available for purchase with Federal Quota funds. In fiscal years 

2020 and 2021, APH streamlined its educational product offerings, ensuring the most efficient 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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use of available funding. While APH intends to continue focusing its product catalog on products 

that are consistently in high demand, unique, and supported with strong educational 

programming, realizing such efficiencies in the future may not be a readily viable option. 

The timely delivery of textbooks in accessible media formats for braille-reading students is 

crucial to ensuring that children who are visually impaired have the same access to a free 

appropriate public education as children without disabilities. In order to address this need, each 

year APH produces thousands of braille and large print textbooks on demand, including 

instructional materials featuring tactile graphics, which are essential for teaching subjects such 

as geography and geometry. APH issues industry standards for tactile graphics, manufactures 

and distributes graphics to students across the country, and maintains a Tactile Graphic Image 

Library in order to increase the variety and lower the cost of pictures and graphics included in 

accessible educational materials. The funds requested for educational materials support APH’s 

production of teaching modules and associated instructional materials in these subjects.

Outreach Services: The request includes $2.5 million for a variety of activities that support the 

administration of the educational materials program, including the annual census of students 

who are blind and visually impaired; the annual meeting of the ex officio trustees; advisory 

group panels; printing and distribution of catalogs of available materials; and field services such 

as consultation, in-service training, webinars, and workshops. Other funded activities include the 

provision of ongoing consumer information and technical support to customers, as well as 

support and information to staff and teachers at schools around the country.

The APH website (www.aph.org) offers many features that support the Act, including: 

information on ordering accessible textbooks and tests, demonstration copies of APH software, 

downloadable catalogs and newsletters, information on training events, archived webcasts on 

products and services, product videos, online surveys, and educational content web pages. The 

informational website serves as a gateway to online services such as the Louis Database, the 

APH File Repository, and the Accessible Media Producers Database. Website content 

continues to grow each month as more information and features are added.

Research and Product Development: The request includes $6 million for research and product 

development focused on innovative educational products for students who are visually impaired. 

APH engages in developmental and applied research in the following areas: independent 

living/orientation and mobility; braille; core curriculum; cortical visual impairment; early 

childhood; emergent literacy; low vision; multiple disabilities; physical education; art; science, 

technology, engineering, and math; tactile graphic literacy; technology; and tests and 

assessments.

The request will provide funds for APH to conduct over 350 research projects, including the 

development of new products for use with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are visually 

impaired. Projects are also expected to produce materials for students who are visually impaired 

with secondary disabilities, equipment to assist students with low vision, materials for braille 

literacy, classroom learning aids, tactile graphics, and tools to aid in the transition from school to 

postsecondary educational or job settings.

The request also includes funding for APH’s Accessible Tests Department initiative. The overall 

goal of the Accessible Tests Department is to provide timely delivery of: test materials in high 

quality accessible media; reviews of test items; text-based alt-tags and scripts of graphical 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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information and mathematical/scientific equations, formulas, and symbols; and guidelines and 

recommendations of the most promising practices for accessible test production and 

assessment.

Regional Partnerships: The request includes $6.5 million to continue and expand the regional 

partnership with the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB) Center for Assistive 

Technology Training (CATT). The CATT is a regional partnership focused on providing training 

on how to use current and evolving technology to students with vision loss and those that work 

with students with vision loss. AIDB employs trainers to work in nine Southeastern states 

(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, 

and Tennessee). These trainers, who are appropriately certified in the use of the technology, 

work with and travel to educational programs and agencies throughout the region to provide 

training on assistive technology to the following audiences: students with vision loss, educators 

working with students with vision loss, local system assistive technology specialists/IT 

specialists, and families and caregivers of students with hearing loss.

PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures 2022 2023 2024

 Distribution of funding:

stribution of funding: Educational materials $26,531 $28,431 $28,431

stribution of funding: Outreach services $2,300 $2,500 $2,500

stribution of funding: Educational and technical research $5,600 $6,000 $6,000

stribution of funding: Regional Partnerships $6,000 $6,500 $6,500

Distribution of funding: Total $40,431 $43,431 $43,431

 Number of eligible students 55,711 54,962 56,404

 Average per student allotment (whole dollars) $476 $517 $504

 Number of services and products provided:

 and products provided: Products available with Federal funds 700 600 600

 and products provided: Advisory committee meetings 5 5 5

 and products provided: State educational agencies visited 12 12 12

 and products provided: Residential programs visited 10 10 10

 and products provided: Rehabilitation programs visited 10 12 12

 and products provided: In-service training programs and webcasts 150 160 180

 and products provided: Product training presentations and exhibits 125 125 125

 and products provided: Visits to Ex Officio Trustees 35 35 35

 and products provided: Total employees (full-time equiv.) 313 315 315
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

This section presents selected program performance information, including, for example, 

program goals, objectives, measures, and performance targets and data; and an assessment of 

the progress made toward achieving program results. Achievement of program results is based 

on the cumulative effect of the Federal resources provided for the program as well as the 

resources and efforts invested by those served by the program.

Goal: Pre-college level blind students will receive appropriate educational materials that 

result in improved educational outcomes.

Objective: Appropriate, timely, high-quality educational materials are provided to pre-college 

level blind students to allow them to benefit more fully from their educational programs.

Measure: From an unrepresentative sample of American Printing House for the Blind trustees, 

advisory committee members, consumers, and teachers, the percentage who agree that the 

educational materials provided through the Act are appropriate, timely, and high-quality.

Trustees - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual:

Extremely,

Mostly, or

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2019 98% 97% 44% 42% 11% 1% 1%

2020 98 98 56 35 7 2 0

2021 98 99 62 35 3 0 0

2022 98 100 59 37 3 0 0

2023 98

2024 98

Advisory Committee Members - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual:

Extremely,

Mostly, or

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2019 100% 100% 42% 33% 25% 0 0

2020 100 96 54 34 7 4% 0

2021 100 100 60 37 4 0 0

2022 100 100 78 22 0 0 0

2023 100

2024 100

Note: Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Consumers - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual:

Extremely,

Mostly, or 

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2019 96% 98% 54% 36% 8% 2% 0

2020 96 96 54 37 5 3 0

2021 96 98 51 36 11 1 1%

2022 96 96 58 34 4 2 1

2023 96

2024 96

Teachers - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual:

Extremely,

Mostly, or

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2019 97% 96% 47% 39% 11% 3% 1%

2020 97 98 57 36 4 2 0

2021 97 98 59 34 6 1 0

2022 97 98 57 35 6 1 0

2023 97

2024 97

Note: Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

Additional Information: In 2022, data was collected using a survey instrument designed to 

measure the levels of consumer satisfaction specified in the objective. The actual data reflect 

the percentage of respondents who were extremely satisfied, mostly satisfied, or somewhat 

satisfied that the educational materials provided through the Act are appropriate, timely, and 

high-quality. There were 573 valid respondents to the 2022 survey, an increase of respondents 

over the 2021 survey (544). For 2022, the subsets of total respondents are: (1) 78 Ex Officio 

Trustees, (2) 9 advisory committee members; (3) 135 other consumers; and (4) 351 teachers.

Objective: To improve the quality of APH research and product usefulness.

Measure: The percentage of APH product sales revenue that is from new products.

Year Target Actual

2019 22% 32%

2020 22 29

2021 22 43

2022 22 28

2023 22

2024 22

Additional Information: This measure was developed to help determine the efficacy of new 

products developed by APH. The intent of this measure is to maintain a minimum percentage of 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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sales of new products, as an indication that consumers are responding to and buying new 

products developed by APH. For fiscal year 2022, a total of $7.9 million of new products 

(defined as products introduced in fiscal years 2020 and 2021) were sold. Total product sales 

for fiscal year 2022 was $27.9 million.

Measure: The average rating, according to approved criteria on relevance, for a sample of new

American Printing House for the Blind products evaluated by an independent panel of qualified 

experts or individuals with appropriate expertise related to the target audience.

Year Target Actual

2019 4.0 6.2

2020 4.0 6.3

2021 4.0 6.1

2022 4.0 6.1

2023 4.0

2024 4.0

Additional Information: To determine the average relevance rating, a panel of experts, who 

are proposed by APH and approved by the Department, reviews a sample of new products 

developed by APH to assess whether the products: (1) address the needs of individuals who 

meet the definition of blind or visually impaired; (2) address the needs of blind or visually 

impaired individuals of any age included in an education or rehabilitation program; and (3) are 

fully accessible for the intended population. The products are rated using a 7-point rating scale, 

where 1 equals “no evidence is given to demonstrate that the criteria are being addressed,” 

4 equals “evidence is sufficient to demonstrate that the criteria are met,” and 7 equals “evidence 

from multiple sources is of extremely high quality and demonstrates that the criteria are being 

met.”

Measure: The average rating, according to approved criteria on quality of research, for a

sample of new American Printing House for the Blind products evaluated by an independent 

panel of qualified experts or individuals with appropriate expertise related to the target audience.

Year Target Actual

2019 4.0 5.9

2020 4.0 6.0

2021 4.0 5.8

2022 4.0 5.6

2023 4.0

2024 4.0

Additional Information: The panel of experts annually reviews the underlying research related 

to a sample of new products developed each year by APH to assess whether data were 

gathered: (1) through an appropriate method; (2) from a geographically diverse U.S. population; 

(3) from appropriately qualified individuals (e.g., individuals who possess appropriate 

qualifications or appropriate learner characteristics); and (4) from an adequate number of 

sources. The products are rated using a 7-point rating scale, where 1 equals “no evidence is 

given to demonstrate that the criteria are being addressed,” 4 equals “evidence is sufficient to 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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demonstrate that the criteria are met,” and 7 equals “evidence from multiple sources is of 

extremely high quality and demonstrates that the criteria are being met.”

Measure: The average rating, according to approved criteria on utility, for a sample of new

American Printing House for the Blind products evaluated by an independent panel of qualified 

experts or individuals with appropriate expertise related to the target audience.

Year Target Actual

2019 4.0 6.1

2020 4.0 6.3

2021 4.0 6.1

2022 4.0 5.8

2023 4.0

2024 4.0

Additional Information: For this measure, the panel of experts annually reviews a 

purposefully selected sample of new products developed each year by APH to assess whether: 

(1) sales of the new products indicate demand; (2) new product indicators, such as field 

evaluations and other feedback, substantiate that the new product is meeting a need; and 

(3) the products are considered highly useful for individuals with visual impairments. The ten 

products are rated using a 7-point rating scale, where 1 equals “no evidence is given to 

demonstrate that the criteria are being addressed,” 4 equals “evidence is sufficient to 

demonstrate that the criteria are met,” and 7 equals “evidence from multiple sources is of 

extremely high quality and demonstrates that the criteria are being met.”

Efficiency Measures

Measure: The cost per page to produce color large type textbooks.

Year Target Actual

2019 $0.10 $0.08

2020 0.10 0.11

2021 0.10 0.10

2022 0.10 0.12

2023 0.10

2024 0.10

Additional Information: In fiscal year 2022, the total cost to produce color large type 

textbooks increased by 1.4 cents from 10.3 cents to 11.7 cents per page. While demand for 

these textbooks decreased, APH managed to contain costs by managing production costs.
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Measure: The cost per page to produce braille textbooks.

Year Target Actual

2019 $0.15 $0.27

2020 0.15 0.35

2021 0.26 0.31

2022 0.26 0.35

2023 0.26

2024 0.26

Additional Information: In fiscal year 2022, the total cost to produce braille textbooks 

increased to 35 cents per page, which was unfavorable to the current target of 26 cents per 

page. While COVID-19 led to a substantial decrease in the volume of orders, APH has not met 

the established targets since fiscal year 2016. Due to a consistent decrease in demand since 

2017, the Department reset the target for this measure to 26 cents per page, reflecting the three 

year running average for fiscal years 2017 to 2019.