Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act

Key Points

• This bill updates the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to improve how schools teach students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, or deafblind. It requires states to file detailed addendums to their education plans within two years showing how they meet these students' unique language and learning needs.
• The bill addresses a major undercount of students with sensory disabilities by requiring states to identify and serve these children even when they are classified under other disability categories like 'multiple disabilities.' States must stop using vague labels like 'hearing impaired' or 'communication disorder.'
• For deaf and hard of hearing students, the bill makes American Sign Language instruction a default requirement unless parents expressly waive it. For blind students, Braille instruction becomes the default unless both the IEP team and the parent agree it is not appropriate for the child.
• The bill tackles shortages of specialized educators by directing federal personnel development programs to train more teachers of the deaf, teachers of the blind, educational interpreters, interveners for deafblind students, and early intervention specialists.
• A new national center called the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence would be created within the Department of Education. It would fund research, teacher training, and enrichment programs for students who are blind or visually impaired.
• States would be penalized for closing specialized schools for the deaf or blind, with such closures treated as a reduction in financial support for special education that could jeopardize federal funding.