§ 1140m — Model Demonstration Programs To Support Improved Access To Postsecondary Instructional Materials For Students With Print Disabilities

(a) It is the purpose of this section to support model demonstration programs for the purpose of encouraging the development of systems to improve the quality of postsecondary instructional materials in specialized formats and such materials’ timely delivery to postsecondary students with print disabilities, including systems to improve efficiency and reduce duplicative efforts across multiple institutions of higher education. (b) In this section, the term “eligible partnership” means a partnership that— (1) shall include— (A) an institution of higher education with demonstrated expertise in meeting the needs of students with print disabilities, including the retention of such students in, and such students’ completion of, postsecondary education; and (B) a public or private entity, other than an institution of higher education, with— (i) demonstrated expertise in developing accessible instructional materials in specialized formats for postsecondary students with print disabilities; and (ii) the technical development expertise necessary for the efficient dissemination of such materials, including procedures to protect against copyright infringement with respect to the creation, use, and distribution of instructional materials in specialized formats; and (2) may include representatives of the publishing industry. (c) From amounts appropriated under section 1140o of this title, the Secretary shall award grants or contracts, on a competitive basis, to not less than one eligible partnership to enable the eligible partnership to support the activities described in subsection (f) and, as applicable, subsection (g). (d) An eligible partnership that desires a grant or contract under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and in such format as the Secretary may prescribe. The application shall include information on how the eligible partnership will implement activities under subsection (f) and, as applicable, subsection (g). (e) In awarding grants or contracts under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to any applications that include the development and implementation of the procedures and approaches described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (g). (f) An eligible partnership that receives a grant or contract under this section shall use the grant or contract funds to carry out the following: (1) Supporting the development and implementation of the following: (A) Processes and systems to help identify, and verify eligibility of, postsecondary students with print disabilities in need of instructional materials in specialized formats. (B) Procedures and systems to facilitate and simplify request methods for accessible instructional materials in specialized formats from eligible students described in subparagraph (A), which may include a single point-of-entry system. (C) Procedures and systems to coordinate among institutions of higher education, publishers of instructional materials, and entities that produce materials in specialized formats, to efficiently facilitate— (i) requests for such materials; (ii) the responses to such requests; and (iii) the delivery of such materials. (D) Delivery systems that will ensure the timely provision of instructional materials in specialized formats to eligible students, which may include electronic file distribution. (E) Systems to reduce duplicative conversions and improve sharing of the same instructional materials in specialized formats for multiple eligible students at multiple institutions of higher education. (F) Procedures to protect against copyright infringement with respect to the development, use, and distribution of instructional materials in specialized formats while maintaining accessibility for eligible students, which may include digital technologies such as watermarking, fingerprinting, and other emerging approaches. (G) Awareness, outreach, and training activities for faculty, staff, and students related to the acquisition and dissemination of instructional materials in specialized formats and instructional materials utilizing universal design. (2) Providing recommendations on how effective procedures and systems described in paragraph (1) may be disseminated and implemented on a national basis. (g) An eligible partnership that receives a grant or contract under this section may use the grant or contract funds to support the development and implementation of the following: (1) Approaches for the provision of instructional materials in specialized formats limited to instructional materials used in smaller categories of postsecondary courses, such as introductory, first-, and second-year courses. (2) Approaches supporting a unified search for instructional materials in specialized formats across multiple databases or lists of available materials. (3) Market-based approaches for making instructional materials in specialized formats directly available to eligible students at prices comparable to standard instructional materials. (h) Not later than three years after the date of the first grant or contract awarded under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the authorizing committees a report that includes— (1) the number of grants and contracts and the amount of funds distributed under this section; (2) a summary of the purposes for which the grants and contracts were provided and an evaluation of the progress made under such grants and contracts; (3) a summary of the activities implemented under subsection (f) and, as applicable, subsection (g), including data on the number of postsecondary students with print disabilities served and the number of instructional material requests executed and delivered in specialized formats; and (4) an evaluation of the effectiveness of programs funded under this section. (i) The Secretary may, on the basis of the reports under subsection (h) and section 1140l(b)(2) of this title and any evaluations of the projects funded under this section, expand the program under this section to additional grant or contract recipients that use other programmatic approaches and serve different geographic regions, if the Secretary finds that the models used under this section— (1) are effective in improving the timely delivery and quality of materials in specialized formats; and (2) provide adequate protections against copyright infringement.