By Jean Martin, Director

Resource Center: Blind/Visually Impaired

Minnesota Department of Education

(Editor’s Note: This presentation was given at the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota annual convention on November 3, 2007.)

Good morning! Thank you for inviting me to share information on the responsibilities of my position and the educational service delivery of children and youth who are blind or visually impaired in Minnesota.

As the Director of the Resource Center: Blind/Visually Impaired and State Specialist: Blind/Visually Impaired with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) my responsibilities and activities continue to focus full time on education services to blind and low vision children and youth.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, 125A.63, set the parameters of my position at the Resource Center. Language referencing the advisory committee was amended in 2006. Original language stated that the Special Education Advisory Council shall establish an advisory council for the resource center. The advisory committee shall develop recommendations regarding the Resource Center. This was amended in 2006 to read, “The commissioner shall establish an advisory committee for each resource center. The advisory committees shall develop recommendations regarding the resource centers and submit an annual report to the commissioner on the form and in the manner prescribed by the commissioner.” Joyce Scanlan is currently serving on the advisory committee.

I serve as the Ex-Officio Trustee of the American Printing House (APH). The Trustee is entrusted with the administration of the Federal Quota Program with his or her system. This includes the Federal Quota Census, Federal Quota orders, and management of Federal Quota funds, communication, attending the annual meeting and serving on committees. I currently serve as the chair of the Educational Services Advisory Committee.

I co-manage a two-year Interagency Agreement between the MDE and State Services for the Blind (SSB). The school districts in the state have been asked to agree to withhold $5.00 per special education child count to be held in a centralized account at the MDE. This year there is approximately $475,000 in this account. Districts who have indicated yes to this arrangement will receive braille and “some” audio tapes at no cost. Districts who have indicated no will pay for braille and tape. This is a two year agreement.

The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) & National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) includes:

• A mandate for states to adopt the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) as a source file for provision of student-ready accessible materials to students who are blind or print disabled.
• A mandate for State Education Agencies and Local Education Agencies, two years after the enactment, to ensure the provision of accessible instructional materials in specialized formats for students with print disabilities, either directly through the state or through the National Instructional Materials Access Center.
• The establishment of a National Instructional Materials Access Center at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) to process NIMAS versions of Print Instructional Materials.

Minnesota is one of 15 states to participate in a federal grant in regard to the NIMAC. It is expected that a NIMAC Conversation group will meet in November.

The APH/Community of Practice provides recommendations on purchasing resource materials with federal quota monies, and management of the quota system and accessible materials.

The Low Vision/Community of Practice assists with the low vision clinics and provides recommendations in the area of low vision. The group is working collaboratively with Dr. Dennis Siemsen from the Mayo Clinic.

The AT/Community of Practice in conjunction the commitment and funding from SSB and MDE has developed and is implementing an AT Loan/Evaluation Project. Through the project, specific assistive technology can be loaned to the student/district for evaluation purposes. We are excited to work on this initiative.

The State B/VI Test Review Team continues to review new items for bias to blind and visual impairment students in Minnesota. We have reviewed several, perhaps hundreds of items. Because the state science tests this year are computerized, it is my understanding that a hard copy will be available in braille.

The Minnesota Collaborative Teacher Training Program in Special Education: Blind or Visually Impaired is approved by the Board of Teaching. Many students in the first cohort have completed their training and are in the process of applying for a Minnesota License in Blind or Visually Impaired. A second cohort began the training program this summer. I am pleased to announce that Mary Archer from SSB and Judith Normandin from Intermediate School District #287 will be teaching the advanced braille course sometime this year.

I serve on the General Advisory Committee of the National Accessible Reading Assessment Projects (NARAP). This is an Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funded collaborative project between the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) and the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The goals of the project are: 1) Develop a definition of reading proficiency. 2) Research the assessment of reading proficiency. 3) Develop research-based principles and guidelines making large-scale reading assessments more accessible for students who have disabilities that affect reading. 4) Develop and field trial a prototype reading assessment.

I serve on the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind, the Needs Assessment Task Force, the Communication Center, and the Child Services Advisory Committees of State Services for the Blind (SSB).

All initiatives for the 2007-08 school year are not finalized at this time due to a busy beginning of the school year.

It is my hope that every blind or low vision child or youth in Minnesota is receiving and/or will receive instruction in the specialized skill areas that child or youth needs and that every blind or low vision child or youth in Minnesota is receiving and/or will receive instructional materials in the specialized format that is best for that child or youth. We have not completely accomplished that goal but have made great process. As I travel nationally, it feels good to come back to Minnesota. We as a state “walk our talk” in agencies and consumer groups working collaboratively to ensure blind and low vision children, youth and adults have great expectations and receive appropriate services.