Department of Education

AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriations Language .........................................................................................................J-1

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes........................................................................J-2

Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers ..............................................................................J-3

Authorizing Legislation.............................................................................................................J-4

Appropriations History..............................................................................................................J-5

Activity:

American Printing House for the Blind .................................................................................J-6
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND 

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Appropriations Language

For carrying out the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind1 of March 3, 1879, 

$25,431,000. 

NOTES

A full-year 2018 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, 2018 (Division D of P.L. 115–

56, as amended). The amounts included for 2018 reflect the annualized level provided by the continuing resolution. 

Each language provision that is followed by a footnote reference is explained in the Analysis of Language 

Provisions and Changes document that follows the appropriation language.
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Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1

...to Promote the Education of the Blind The name of the Act of March 3, 1879 is 

included to clarify the appropriation language 

reference.
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Appropriation, Adjustments, and Transfers

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation/Adjustments/Transfers 2017

2018

Annualized CR 2019

Discretionary:

Discretionar y Appropriation................................................... $25,431 0 $25,431

Annualized CR (P.L. 115–56).......................... 0 $25,258 0

Total, discretionary appropriation ................. 25,431 25,258 25,431
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND

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J-4

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2018

Authorized

2018

Annualized CR

2019

Authorized

2019

Request

The Act to Promote the Education of the Blind

(20 U.S. C. 101 et. seq.) Indefinite $25,258 Indefinite $25,431

Total annual appropriation 25,258 25,431
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Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Footnote AppropriationFootnote

2010 $22,599 $22,599 $24,6001 $24,600

2011 24,600 24,6002 24,6001 24,6003

2012 24,600 24,5514 24,5514 24,505

2013 24,505 24,5055 24,5085 23,223

2014 24,505 N/A624,456124,456

2015 24,456 N/A6 25,0007 24,931

2016 24,931 25,431 24,931 25,4318

2017 25,431 25,431925,431925,4319

2018 25,383 26,43110 25,43110 25,25810

2019 25,431

1

 The levels for the Senate allowance reflect Committee action only. 2

 The levels for the House allowance reflect the House-passed full-year continuing resolution. 3

 The level for appropriation reflects the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 

(P.L. 112-10). 4

 The level for the House allowance reflects an introduced bill and the level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate 

Committee action only. 

5

 The level for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2013 appropriations bill, which 

proceeded in the 112th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 

6 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no Subcommittee action. 7 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Senate Subcommittee action only. 8

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

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

9

 The levels for House and Senate allowances reflect Committee action on the regular annual 2017 appropriation bill; 

the Appropriation reflects the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017. 10 The levels for the House reflect floor action on an Omnibus appropriation bill; Senate allowances reflect 

Committee action on the regular annual 2018 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 2019 Authorization: Indefinite 

Budget Authority: 

2018 

Annualized CR 2019

Change from 

Annualized CR

$25,258 $25,431 +$173

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 special 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 75 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 related to developing and improving products and to provide advisory 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. Special materials in areas such as early 

intervention and early childhood education, prevocational training, and the functional use of 

residual vision are also developed for use in teaching students who are blind or have additional 

disabilities.

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

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

Database; National Instructional Partnership activities; 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 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. 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND 

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Trustees may use the credits to order materials from APH. These materials are available for 

purchase by the trustees and the general public at http://shop.aph.org. Trustees are responsible 

for the administration of the Federal accounts in each State. APH materials are reviewed by a 

six-member Educational Products Advisory Committee. The purpose of this committee, made 

up of ex officio trustees, is to ensure that all educational materials produced and research 

undertaken by APH effectively focus on meeting the needs of students who are blind. In 

addition, a second five-member advisory committee of ex officio trustees, the Educational 

Services Advisory Committee, provides oversight and accountability regarding APH’s outreach 

and support services.

Materials provided through the APH appropriation supplement the various other resources 

available to the States to achieve this goal. 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 2017, Federal funding provided through the APH appropriation for educational 

materials represented approximately 70 percent of APH’s total sales income, and approximately 

64 percent of APH’s total budget of $39.4 million. Federal grants and contracts from agencies 

such as the National Library Service for the Blind, Social Security Administration, and Veterans 

Administration represented 7 percent of APH’s total budget. The remaining 29 percent of APH’s 

budget 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)

2014 ................................................................................... $24,456

2015 ..................................................................................... 24,931

2016 ..................................................................................... 25,431

2017 ..................................................................................... 25,431

2018 ..................................................................................... 25,258

FY 2019 BUDGET REQUEST

The Administration requests $25.4 million for fiscal year 2019 for the American Printing House 

(APH) for the Blind, an increase of $173 thousand, to restore funding to the fiscal year 2017 

level. APH provides crucial educational aids at no cost to students who are visually impaired. 

The materials that are developed, manufactured, and distributed by the APH offer States an 

additional resource to help provide a free appropriate public education to visually impaired 

students, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Federal support 

of the APH also helps ensure that students who are visually impaired receive the accessible 

educational materials they need to succeed in school and prepare for college and careers. The 

Administration believes the request provides sufficient resources to support an adequate level of 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND 

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service in each of the three program areas: educational materials, advisory services, and 

research. 

Educational Materials: The request includes $19 million for educational materials. The 

requested funding would provide an estimated $294 per eligible student. Materials produced by 

APH include textbooks in braille, large type, and audio recording formats; educational aides 

such as braille typewriters, raised (tactile) graphics, and computer software and hardware; 

teaching tools such as tests and performance measures; and other special supplies. APH 

manufactures these instructional materials for a broad range of academic subjects and grade 

levels. In fiscal year 2016, 1,005 distinct educational products were available for purchase with 

Federal Quota funds. The Quota consists of funds from the APH appropriation (about 75

percent) in the form of credits that are allocated to States on the basis of the annual census of 

blind students in each State.

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. 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. Tactile graphics are essential for teaching 

subjects such as geography and geometry. The funds requested for educational materials 

support APH’s production of teaching modules and associated instructional materials in these 

subjects. 

Advisory Services: The request includes $1.55 million for advisory services for fiscal year 2019. 

Through advisory services, APH provides a variety of activities that support the administration of 

the educational materials program. These funds support activities such as the annual meeting of 

the ex officio trustees; advisory group panels; the annual census of students who are visually 

impaired; printing and distribution of catalogs of available materials; and field services such as 

consultation, in-service training, webinars, and workshops. Advisory service funds also support 

the provision of ongoing consumer information and technical support to customers. APH also

uses these funds to provide support and information to staff and teachers at schools around the 

country. 

In order to maximize the availability of ongoing training and technical assistance activities, APH 

frequently conducts training through the Internet. These web-based training sessions help APH 

the reach a wide audience in an efficient, low-cost manner.

Projects that would continue to be funded in fiscal year 2019 include:

• National Instructional Partnerships program, webcast product training series (see: 

http://www.aph.org/videos/ ), 

• APH Research Library (see: http://migel.aph.org/catalog/CategoryInfo.aspx?cid=152 ),

• APH Accessible Media Producers Database (see: 

http://louis.aph.org/catalog/CategoryInfo.aspx?cid=152&master=AMP ), and the

• National Instructional Partnership with Teacher Training Programs (see: 

http://www.aph.org/advisory/initiatives/#nip ). 
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The APH website offers the public convenient access to products, manuals, downloadable 

catalogs and newsletters, information on training events, online surveys, and online reference 

services such as the Louis Accessible Materials Database and APH file repository. In recent 

years, APH has integrated these unique databases and online tools to make them crosssearchable and to enhance user-friendliness. The APH website provides a comprehensive 

source of specialized information and resources on accessible instructional materials for 

individuals who are visually impaired. 

Research and Product Development: The request includes $4.9 million for research and product 

development, the same amount that was allocated for research at the fiscal year 2017 level.

APH undertakes applied and developmental research with the goal of developing innovative 

educational products for students who are visually impaired. Major research initiatives include 

the APH SMART Brailler by Perkins, which is an electronic brailler that provides the user 

immediate feedback through text-to-speech, and a screen that displays SimBraille and large 

print of what is brailled. There is an audio and visual component that provides access to nonbraille users. APH has also partnered with Orbit Research® and Texas Instruments® to create 

the Orion TI-84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator. The modified TI-84 Plus has attachments that 

add accessibility controls allowing the student to participate fully in STEM-related academics. A 

calculator to assist younger students is currently in development. These new products represent 

major improvements over existing tools and technologies. APH also continues to invest in the 

development of the file formats, software, hardware, and production infrastructure necessary to 

produce and deliver braille books through electronic files and e-readers rather than through 

paper books (see: http://www.aph.org/research/).

The Administration recognizes the need for APH to conduct developmental and applied 

research, so that it can continue to meet the changing needs of students who are visually 

impaired, particularly as the technologies for producing accessible educational materials evolve 

rapidly. The request will provide funds for APH to conduct over 350 research projects in a wide 

range of content areas, including development of new products for use with infants, toddlers, 

and preschoolers who are visually impaired, 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.

Product development activities planned for fiscal year 2019 are categorized into 12 content 

areas: Adult Life, Braille, Core Curriculum, Cortical Visual Impairment, Early Childhood, 

Emergent Literacy, Low Vision, Multiple Disabilities, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering 

and Math), Tactile Graphics, Technology, and Tests and Assessments.

The request also includes funding for APH’s Accessible Tests Department initiative (see: 

http://www.aph.org/tests-and-textbooks/). Goals of this initiative include:

• Providing tests, practice tests, examination administration manuals, and other assessment

related materials, including color, large print assessments, in high quality accessible media.

• Promoting inclusion of visually impaired individuals in the development of assessments.

• Enhancing the test performance of visually impaired individuals through research, 

education, and communication. 
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PROGRAM OUTPUT MEASURES 

(dollars in thousands)

Output Measures

2017 2018 2019

Distribution of funding:

stribut ion of fund ing: Educational materials $19,256 $18,845 $19,006

stribut ion of fund ing: Advisory services $1,500 $1,547 $1,550

stribut ion of fund ing: Educational and technical research $4,675 $4,866 $4,875

Distribut ion of fund ing: Total $25,431 $25,258 $25,431

 Number of eligible students 63,357 63,944 64,634

 Average per student allotment (whole dollars) $304 $295 $294

 Number of services and products provided:

 and products provid ed: Products available with Federal funds 1,000 1,000 1,000

 and products provid ed: Advisory committee meetings 5 5 5

 and products provid ed: State educational agencies visited 12 12 12

 and products provid ed: Residential programs visited 12 14 14

 and products provid ed: Rehabilitation programs visited 10 12 12

 and products provid ed: In-service training programs and webcasts 25 25 27

 and products provid ed: Product training presentations and exhibits 125 125 125

 and products provid ed: Visits to Ex Officio Trustees 200 25 30

 and products provid ed: Total employees (full-time equiv.) 3053 305 305

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Performance Measures

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

goals, objectives, measures, 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 resources provided in previous years and those requested in fiscal 

year 2019 and future years, as well as the resources and efforts invested by those served by 

this 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: The percentage of American Printing House for the Blind trustees, advisory 

committee members, consumers, and teachers who agree that the educational materials 

provided through the Act are appropriate, timely, and high-quality. 
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Trustees - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual

Extremely 

Mostly

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Detail

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2014 98% 98% 61% 35% 2% 0 0

2015 98 99 61 34 4 0 0

2016 98 98 75 20 3 2% 0

2017 98 100 67 32 1 0 0

2018 98

2019 98

Advisory Committee Members - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual

Extremely 

Mostly

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Detail

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2014 100% 100% 63% 33% 3% 0 0

2015 100 100 66 33 0 0 0

2016 100 100 91 9 0 0 0

2017 100 100 71 29 0 0 0

2018 100

2019 100

Consumers - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual

Extremely 

Mostly

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Detail

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2014 96% 99% 61% 33% 2% 1% 0

2015 96 98 50 41 7 0 0

2016 96 100 45 55 0 0 0

2017 96 98 59 34 5 2 1%

2018 96

2019 96

Note: Percentages may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.
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Teachers - Percentage who agree:

Year Target

Actual

Extremely 

Mostly

Somewhat

Extremely 

Satisfied

Mostly 

Satisfied

Detail

Somewhat 

Satisfied

Not too 

Satisfied

Not at all 

Satisfied

2014 97% 99% 56% 37% 6% 1% 0

2015 97 99 57 38 5 0 0

2016 97 97 58 36 3 1 0

2017 97 99 59 34 5 1 0

2018 97

2019 97

Note: Percentages may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

Additional Information: In 2017, data were collected using a survey instrument designed to 

measure the levels of consumer satisfaction specified in the objective. The individual factors 

were each rated on a separate 5-point Likert scale, with 5 representing the highest level of 

satisfaction. APH conducted surveys of the four groups of constituencies cited in the APH 

GPRA plan for 2017. These groups are: (1) Ex Officio Trustees of APH who are professionals in 

the field of blindness; (2) APH advisory committees; (3) other consumers of APH products; and 

(4) teachers of students who are visually impaired.

The percentages shown for each measure are composed of the respondents from each group 

that were “Extremely satisfied,” “Mostly satisfied,” or “Somewhat satisfied” with all three 

dimensions of product satisfaction (quality, timeliness, and appropriateness for targeted 

audience).

The survey instrument was distributed electronically to 143 current Ex Officio Trustees of APH, 

as well as to various professional groups whose members work in the field of blindness and to 

other consumers of APH products. In addition, the survey was available on the APH website. 

This made it easily available for response by individuals who were not on a specific mailing list, 

but who were encouraged to respond through invitations on list serves and in various 

newsletters and announcements. The web-based format also provides accessibility to visually 

impaired individuals who require alternate media.

There were 492 valid respondents to the 2017 survey, representing a substantial increase from 

the 194 respondents in 2015 and the 366 respondents in 2016. The subsets of that total are: (1) 

39 Ex Officio Trustees, including 7 advisory committee members; (3) 355 teachers; and (4) 98

other consumers.
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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

2014 22% 40%

2015 22 18

2016 22 16

2017 22 17

2018 22

2019 22

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

products developed by APH. The purpose of the measure is to evaluate the reaction of 

consumers to new products created by the research department, which is determined by 

measuring the extent to which sales of new products surpass a minimum level of products sold. 

For FY 2017, a total of $2.5 million new products (defined as products introduced in FY 2015

and FY 2016) were sold. Total product Sales for FY 2017 was $14.9 million. New products 

included the Video Mag HD, Jaws Magic Student Subscription, and Mini Read Write Stand. 

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

2014 4 5.5

2015 4 5.8

2016 4 6.0

2017 4 6.1

2018 4

2019 4

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

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

products developed each year by the Printing House to assess whether: (1) there is evidence of 

need for the product; (2) there is evidence that APH sought the opinions of knowledgeable 

individuals on the need for the product; (3) APH made the decision to produce the product 

based on a standardized process for product selection; (4) the product addresses an identified 

need for individuals who are visually impaired; and (5) the product is fully accessible for the 

intended population. The products are rated using a 7-point rating scale, where 1 equals “does 

not meet criteria, 4 equals “meets criteria,” and 7 equals “exceeds criteria.” The average of the 

scores is the number reported in the actual column. In fiscal 2017, the panel’s average rating 

increased from the prior year and continued to exceed the “meets criteria” rating. The small 

variations in the average score from year to year may reflect the changing composition of the 

expert review panel and the sample of the products rated. 
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Panel members reviewed and rated 10 APH products for FY 2017: (1) O&M for Wheelchair 

Users; (2) Gross Motor Development Curriculum; (3) Color-by-Texture Marking Mats; (4) 

Interactive US Map w/Talking Tactile Pen; (5) Teaching Street Crossings; (6) Light in Sight; (7) 

Tactile Compass for Math and Art; (8) Video Mag HD; (9) Tactile Editing Kit; and (10) VIPS @ 

Home Series. These products, which are representative of the wide variety of products 

produced by APH, were purposefully selected by APH for review by the expert panel.

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

2014 4 5.3

2015 4 5.4

2016 4 5.6

2017 4 6.1

2018 4

2019 4

Additional Information: The panel of experts annually reviews a purposefully selected sample 

of new products developed each year by APH to assess whether: (1) appropriate research 

methodologies are being used consistent with the type of product being developed; (2) sufficient 

supporting information and evidence is collected by research data methods; (3) data are 

gathered from a geographically diverse U.S. population and a variety of potential user groups; 

(4) evaluation data are gathered from appropriately qualified individuals; (5) research data are 

gathered from an adequate number of sources; (6) development demonstrates use of fieldreviewed data for modification to the product prior to final development; and (7) data are 

gathered on student and consumer outcomes related to the use of the proposed product. The 

products are rated using a 7-point rating scale, where 1 equals “does not meet criteria, 4 equals 

“meets criteria,” and 7 equals “exceeds criteria.” The mean of the scores is the number 

reported. 

Panel members reviewed and rated 10 APH products for FY 2017: (1) O&M for Wheelchair 

Users; (2) Gross Motor Development Curriculum; (3) Color-by-Texture Marking Mats; (4) 

Interactive US Map w/Talking Tactile Pen; (5) Teaching Street Crossings; (6) Light in Sight; (7) 

Tactile Compass for Math and Art; (8) Video Mag HD; (9) Tactile Editing Kit; and (10) VIPS @ 

Home Series. These products, which are representative of the wide variety of products 

produced by APH, were purposefully selected by APH for review by the expert panel.
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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

2014 4 5.5

2015 4 6.0

2016 4 6.1

2017 4 6.2

2018 4

2019 4

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 products are rated using a 

7-point rating scale, where 1 equals “does not meet criteria, 4 equals “meets criteria,” and 7 

equals “exceeds criteria.” In fiscal 2017, the average rating continued to increase and the target 

“meets criteria” rating was once again exceeded.

Efficiency Measures

The Department worked closely with the Printing House to develop appropriate efficiency 

measures for the Federal program at APH. 

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

Year Target Actual

2014 $0.12 $0.08

2015 0.10 0.09

2016 0.10 0.08

2017 0.10 0.09

2018 0.10

2019 0.10

Additional Information: There are three variables used in calculating the cost per page for 

both the production of color large type and braille textbooks. These three variables are: (1) the 

actual cost of manufacturing the pages; (2) the total number of pages produced annually; and 

(3) the average number of pages per volume. Factors that can affect these variables include the 

costs of raw materials and equipment, demand for products, and efficiency of operations. 

In fiscal year 2017, APH printed 7,748,220 pages of color large print type textbooks at a cost of 

$1,440,000. For fiscal year 2017, the total number of large type color pages produced increased 

by 802,000 or 11.5 percent, and the number of volumes increased by 4,000 or 2.1 percent when 

compared to fiscal year 2016. Total production expenses increased by $180,000 or 
AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND 

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14.3 percent. As a result, cost per page increased by 1.5 cents or 19.5 percent from 7.6 cents 

per page to 9.1 cents per page, which was favorable to the target of 10 cents per page.

Measure: The cost per page to produce braille textbooks.

Year Target Actual

2014 $0.10 $0.17

2015 0.15 0.15

2016 0.15 0.14

2017 0.15 0.22

2018 0.15

2019 0.15

Additional Information: In FY 2017, the total number of braille textbook pages decreased by 

2.8 million or 35.9 percent and the number of volumes decreased by 19,000 or 23.7 percent, 

compared to FY 2016. Total production expenses decreased by $131,000 or 10.1 percent. As a 

result, the total cost to produce braille textbooks increased by 8.4 cents or 60 percent from 13.9 

cents per page to 22.3 cents per page, which was unfavorable to the target of 15 cents. (APH 

printed 4,961,000 pages of braille textbooks at a cost of $1,170,000 in FY 2017.)