Guidelines from OSEP on Braille Instruction

This document from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services results from concerns expressed by parents and advocates of children who are blind or visually impaired that “the number of students receiving instruction in Braille has decreased significantly over the past several decades.  As a result, these individuals believe that Braille instruction is not being provided to some students for whom it may be appropriate.”

The purpose of the document is “to provide guidance to States and public agencies to reaffirm the importance of Braille instruction as a literacy tool for blind and visually impaired students, to clarify the circumstances in which Braille instruction should be provided, and to reiterate the scope of an evaluation required to guide decisions of IEP Teams in this area.”  It also identifies resources that are designed to help strengthen the capacity of State and local personnel to meet the needs of students who are blind or visually impaired.