Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act

Key Points

• The bill requires states to identify and serve every child who is blind, deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, or deafblind, even if that child is classified under a different disability category. Right now, many of these students are lumped into broad categories like "multiple disabilities" and miss out on specialized help.
• It establishes detailed evaluation requirements so that deaf students are assessed on language proficiency in American Sign Language and blind students are assessed on Braille, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, and other skills unique to their needs.
• States must file written addendums to their education plans within two years showing how they ensure qualified personnel are available for these students and that appropriate specialized instruction is being provided.
• The bill protects specialized schools for the blind and deaf from closure by treating a state's shutting down such a school as a reduction in financial support for special education, which could trigger a loss of federal funding.
• It creates the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence within the Department of Education to fund research, train teachers, and run enrichment programs for students who are blind or visually impaired.
• The bill invests in workforce development by expanding training programs for teachers of the deaf, teachers of the deafblind, educational interpreters, interveners, and early intervention specialists to address severe personnel shortages.