Department of Education

AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

Fiscal Year 2025 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.

NOTE

A full-year 2024 appropriation for this account was not enacted at the time the Budget was prepared; therefore, 

the Budget assumes this account is operating under the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions 

Act (Division A of Public Law 118-15, as amended). The amounts included for 2024 reflect the annualized level 

provided by the continuing resolution.
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2023 2024 2025 

Discretionary:

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

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

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Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2024 $43,431

2025 43,431

Net change 0 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2024

Authorized

2024

Annualized CR

2025

Authorized

2025

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

20160F

1 $24,931 $25,431 $24,931 $25,431

20171F

2 25,431 25,431 25,431 25,431

20182F

3 25,383 26,431 25,431 27,431

20193F

4 25,431 28,431 30,431 30,431

20204F

5 25,431 39,000 31,931 32,431

20215F

6 32,431 32,931 34,431 34,431

20226F

7 37,431 37,341 41,431 40,431

20237F

8 37,431 43,431 43,431 43,431

20248F

9 43,431 43,431 43,431 43,431

2025 43,431

1 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.

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

appropriations bill.

3 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). 4 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). 5 The Senate allowance reflects the Chairman’s mark; the Appropriation reflects the Further Consolidated 

Appropriation Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94). 6 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). 7 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). 8 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).

9 The House allowance reflects Subcommittee action and the Senate allowance reflects Committee action on the 

regular annual 2024 appropriations bill; the Appropriation reflects the annualized continuing resolution level.
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 2025 Authorization: Indefinite

Budget Authority: 

Period of fund availability: 

2024 Annualized CR 2025 Request Change

$43,431 $43,431 0 ican Printing House for the Blind

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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

American Printing House for the Blind (APH) 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 the 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 61 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. The 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, the 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. The 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 the 

APH effectively focus on meeting the needs of students who are blind. In addition, a fivemember Educational Services Advisory Committee provides oversight and accountability 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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regarding the 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 students who are blind through allotments of 

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

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

which trustees use to order materials from the 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 the APH and other suppliers of 

materials for students who are visually impaired.

In fiscal year 2023, Federal funding provided through the APH appropriation represented 

73.1 percent of the APH’s total actual revenue of approximately $59.4 million. Federal grants 

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

Administration represented another 4.5 percent. The remaining 22.4 percent of the 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)

2020 $32,431

2021 34,431

2022 40,431

2023 43,431

2024 Annualized CR 43,431

FY 2025 BUDGET REQUEST

For fiscal year 2025, the Administration requests $43.4 million for the APH, level with a fiscal 

year 2024 annualized CR based on 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 the APH’s regional partnership. 

Educational Materials

The request includes $26.7 million for educational materials, or an estimated $473 in direct 

support per eligible student. The 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. The APH manufactures these instructional materials for a broad range 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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of academic subjects and grade levels. In fiscal year 2023, approximately 700 educational 

products were available for purchase with Federal Quota funds. In fiscal years 2022 and 2023, 

the APH continued to streamline its educational product offerings, ensuring the most efficient 

use of available funding. While the 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 the 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. The 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 the APH’s production of teaching modules and associated instructional 

materials in these subjects.

Outreach Services

The request includes $3.2 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, inservice 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 the 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 $7.5 million for research and product development focused on innovative 

educational products for students who are visually impaired. The 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 the APH to conduct over 350 research projects, including the 

development of new products for use with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are visually 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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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 the 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 

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 $6.0 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. Previously, AIDB employed trainers to work in nine Southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, 

Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). In 

fiscal year 2023, the program expanded to include states in the Southwest and Pacific 

Northwest. These trainers, who are appropriately certified in the use of the technology, work 

with and travel to educational programs and agencies throughout the identified regions 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 2023 2024 2025

 Distribution of funding:

stribution of funding: Educational materials $26,700 $26,700 $26,700

stribution of funding: Outreach services $3,200 $3,200 $3,200

stribution of funding: Educational and technical research $7,531 $7,531 $7,531

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

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

 Number of eligible students 55,382 55,936 56,495

 Average per student allotment (whole dollars) $482 $477 $473
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Output Measures 2023 2024 2025

 ded:Number of services and products provided:

 and products provided: Products available with Federal funds 706 550 550

 and products provided: Advisory committee meetings 5 5 7

 and products provided: State educational agencies visited 25 35 35

 and products provided: Residential programs visited 10 15 15

 and products provided: Rehabilitation programs visited 4 5 10

 and products provided: In-service training programs and webcasts 132 180 180

 and products provided: Product training presentations and exhibits 231 225 230

 and products provided: Visits to Ex Officio Trustees 93 105 105

 and products provided: Total employees (full-time equiv.) 314 315 320

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

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 99 51 44 4 1 0

2024 98 — — — — — —

2025 98 — — — — — —

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

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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

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 100 100 52 48 0 0 0

2024 100 — — — — — —

2025 100 — — — — — —

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

Consumers - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual:

Extremely, 

Mostly, or 

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

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 98 54 36 8 1 0

2024 96 — — — — — —

2025 96 — — — — — —

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

Teachers - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual:

Extremely,

Mostly, or

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

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 98 52 40 6 1 0

2024 97 — — — — — —

2025 97 — — — — — —

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

Additional information: In 2023, 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 387 valid respondents to the 2023 survey, a decrease in respondents 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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from the 2022 survey (573). For 2023, the subsets of total respondents are: (1) 43 Ex Officio 

Trustees, (2) 14 advisory committee members; (3) 67 other consumers; and (4) 263 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

2020 22% 29%

2021 22 43

2022 22 28

2023 22 13

2024 22 —

2025 22 —

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

products developed by the APH. The intent of this measure is to maintain a minimum 

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

buying new products developed by the APH. For fiscal year 2023, a total of $3.7 million of new 

products (defined as products introduced in fiscal years 2021 and 2022) were sold. Total 

product sales for fiscal year 2023 was $29.1 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

2020 4.0 6.3

2021 4.0 6.1

2022 4.0 6.1

2023 4.0 6.2

2024 4.0 —

2025 4.0 —

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

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

developed by the 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.”
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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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

2020 4.0 6.0

2021 4.0 5.8

2022 4.0 5.6

2023 4.0 5.6

2024 4.0 —

2025 4.0 —

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

to a sample of new products developed each year by the 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 

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

2020 4.0 6.3

2021 4.0 6.1

2022 4.0 5.8

2023 4.0 6.0

2024 4.0 —

2025 4.0 —

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

purposefully selected sample of new products developed each year by the 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.”
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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Efficiency Measures

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

Year Target Actual

2020 $0.10 $0.11

2021 0.10 0.10

2022 0.10 0.12

2023 0.10 0.12

2024 0.10 —

2025 0.10 —

Additional information: In fiscal year 2023, the total cost to produce color large type 

textbooks remained level with the cost in fiscal year 2022.

Measure: The cost per page to produce braille textbooks.

Year Target Actual

2020 $0.15 $0.35

2021 0.26 0.31

2022 0.26 0.35

2023 0.26 0.48

2024 0.37 —

2025 0.37

Additional information: In fiscal year 2023, the total cost to produce braille textbooks 

increased to 48 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, the 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. A more reasonable goal of 37 cents 

per page, based on a running average for fiscal years 2020 to 2023, is being established for 

fiscal year 2024.