Education; special; braille literacy provisions for visually
impaired pupils; provide for.
EDUCATION: Special; EDUCATION: Curricula; DISABILITIES:
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1704.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 SEC. 1704. (1) THIS SECTION SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED
2 AS THE "BLIND PUPIL'S BRAILLE LITERACY LAW".
3 (2) THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION SHALL ADOPT
4 BRAILLE READING AND WRITING STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS OF BLIND AND
5 VISUALLY IMPAIRED PUPILS. THESE STANDARDS SHALL BE INCLUDED IN
6 THE RULES GOVERNING SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
7 (3) WHEN A LOCAL OR INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES
8 INFORMATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT, OR INFORMATION THAT IS APPROVED
9 BY THE DEPARTMENT FROM A CONSUMER ORGANIZATION THAT ADVOCATES FOR
10 THE BLIND, DESCRIBING THE BENEFITS OF INSTRUCTION IN BRAILLE
11 READING AND WRITING, THE LOCAL OR INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT
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1 SHALL PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO EACH PERSON ON THE BLIND
2 PUPIL'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE.
3 (4) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER AN INSTRUCTIONAL
4 RESOURCE CENTER. THE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE CENTER SHALL ACCEPT
5 AND RESPOND TO REQUESTS FROM LOCAL AND INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DIS-
6 TRICTS AND SHALL WORK WITH TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS TO OBTAIN ELEC-
7 TRONIC FILE FORMAT VERSIONS OF TEXTBOOKS OR BRAILLE VERSIONS OF
8 TEXTBOOKS, OR BOTH. THE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE CENTER MAY ALSO,
9 ON BEHALF OF LOCAL AND INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, REQUEST AND
10 ARRANGE FOR CONVERTING AN ELECTRONIC FILE FORMAT VERSION OF A
11 TEXTBOOK TO A BRAILLE VERSION.
12 (5) UPON REQUEST, A PUBLISHER OF A TEXTBOOK THAT IS ADOPTED
13 FOR INSTRUCTIONAL USE BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL FURNISH THE
14 INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE CENTER DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (4) WITH AN
15 ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE TEXTBOOK IN WHICH THE CONTENT IS
16 ENCODED IN TEXT SUITABLE FOR CONVERSION INTO BRAILLE OR SYNTHE-
17 SIZED SPEECH AND THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED USING A MARKUP LANGUAGE
18 THAT MAINTAINS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE INFORMATION AND
19 CAN BE PROCESSED BY BRAILLE TRANSLATION SOFTWARE. A PUBLISHER
20 SHALL NOT CHARGE THIS STATE A PRICE FOR THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION
21 THAT EXCEEDS THE PRICE IT CHARGES FOR THE PRINT OR ELECTRONIC
22 MEDIA VERSION OF THE TEXTBOOK.
23 (6) A LOCAL OR INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR AN INDIVIDU-
24 ALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE SHALL NOT DENY A PUPIL THE
25 OPPORTUNITY FOR INSTRUCTION IN BRAILLE READING AND WRITING SOLELY
26 BECAUSE THE PUPIL HAS SOME REMAINING VISION.
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1 (7) TO THE EXTENT THAT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION
2 CONSTITUTE A NEW ACTIVITY OR SERVICE OR AN INCREASE IN THE LEVEL
3 OF ANY ACTIVITY OR SERVICE BEYOND THAT REQUIRED BY EXISTING LAW,
4 THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS
5 RESULTING FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE DE MINIMIS AND DO NOT
6 REQUIRE ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS UNDER SECTION 29 OF ARTICLE IX
7 OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION OF 1963.
8 (8) AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
9 (A) "BLIND PUPIL" MEANS A PUPIL WHO IS DETERMINED TO MANI-
10 FEST 1 OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING:
11 (i) A VISUAL ACUITY OF 20/200 OR LESS IN THE BETTER EYE
12 AFTER ROUTINE REFRACTIVE CORRECTION.
13 (ii) A FIELD OF VISION THAT IS LIMITED SO THAT THE
WIDEST
14 DIAMETER OF THE VISUAL FIELD SUBTENDS AN ANGLE NOT GREATER THAN
15 20 DEGREES.
16 (iii) A MEDICALLY INDICATED EXPECTATION OF VISUAL
DETERIORA-
17 TION THAT IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN 1 OR BOTH OF THE CONDITIONS
18 DESCRIBED IN SUBPARAGRAPHS (i) AND (ii).
19 (B) "INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM" MEANS THAT TERM AS
20 DEFINED IN SECTION 614 OF PART B OF TITLE VI OF THE INDIVIDUALS
21 WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT, PUBLIC LAW 91-230, 20
22 U.S.C. 1414, OR IN R 340.1701A OF THE MICHIGAN ADMINISTRATIVE
23 CODE.
24 (C) "INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE" MEANS
25 THAT TERM AS DEFINED IN R 340.1701A OF THE MICHIGAN ADMINISTRA-
26 TIVE CODE OR AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM TEAM AS DEFINED
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1 IN SECTION 614 OF PART B OF TITLE VI OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH
2 DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT, PUBLIC LAW 91-230, 20 U.S.C. 1414.
3 (D) "TEXTBOOK" INCLUDES A TEXT PUBLISHED IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA
4 THAT IS USED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES.
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