HB 883

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to literacy education for blind persons;
3	amending s. 1003.55, F.S.; requiring that instruction in
4	braille be part of the individualized education program
5	for a child who is blind or visually impaired; providing
6	exceptions and conditions to that requirement; providing
7	standards for such instruction and specifying contents of
8	the individualized education program; providing an
9	effective date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1.  Subsection (4) of section 1003.55, Florida
14	Statutes, is amended to read:
15	1003.55  Instructional programs for blind or visually
16	impaired students and deaf or hard-of-hearing students.--
17	(4)(a)  In developing an individualized written education
18	program for each blind student, the presumption shall be that
19	blind students can communicate effectively and efficiently with
20	the same level of proficiency expected of the students' peers of
21	comparable ability and grade level. Accordingly, in developing
22	the individualized education program for a child who is blind or
23	visually impaired, provision must be made for instruction in
24	braille and the use of braille unless the team developing the
25	individualized education program unanimously agrees, after an
26	evaluation of the child's reading and writing skills, needs, and
27	appropriate reading and writing media, including, but not
28	limited to, an evaluation of the child's future needs for
29	instruction in braille or the use of braille, that such
30	instruction or use is not appropriate for the child proficiency
31	in reading and writing braille shall be considered during the
32	individualized planning and assessment processes in this
33	context. This section does not require the exclusive use of
34	braille if other special education services are appropriate to
35	the child's educational needs. The provision of appropriate
36	services must not preclude braille use or instruction.
37	(b)  Instruction in braille reading and writing must be
38	sufficient to enable each blind or visually impaired child to
39	communicate effectively and efficiently with the same level of
40	proficiency expected of the child's peers of comparable ability
41	and grade level. The child's individualized education program
42	must specify:
43	1.  The results obtained from the evaluations required
44	under paragraph (a);
45	2.  How braille will be implemented as the primary mode for
46	learning through integration with other classroom activities;
47	3.  The date on which braille instruction will commence;
48	4.  The length of the period of instruction and the
49	frequency and duration of each instructional session;
50	5.  The level of competency in braille reading and writing
51	to be achieved by the end of the period and the objective
52	assessment measures to be used; and
53	6.  If a decision has been made under paragraph (a) that
54	braille instruction or use is not required for the child:
55	a.  That the decision was reached after a review of
56	pertinent literature describing the educational benefits of
57	braille instruction and use; and
58	b.  The evidence used to determine that the child's ability
59	to read and write effectively without special education services
60	is not impaired.
61	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.