Federal Foundation Assistance Monitor

(DISABILITIES) Education Dept. Provides $2.5M to Improve Special Ed TV Access

Agency: Education Dept. (Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services); Program: Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--Television Access (CFDA Number: 84.327C); Eligibility: State educational agencies (SEAs), states, public schools, charter schools, government agencies and tribes; Funding: $2.5 million for five awards; Deadline: July 19.

Summary: These 60-month grants support efforts to provide better captioning for television programs used in an educational setting. The department has made awards for television access since 1995 in order to provide video description and captioning under the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program. Despite these efforts, not all television programs that are appropriate for use in the classroom setting for children with disabilities are being video described or captioned.  

The competition contains one absolute priority: Applicants must provide support for captioning efforts which include widely available television programs that are appropriate for use in the classroom setting and are not otherwise required to be captioned by the FCC.

To meet this priority, applicants will have to select television programs of high educational value that are widely available and are appropriate for use in the classroom setting for children with disabilities at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level. The application must also discuss how, in selecting the programming to be video described, or video described and captioned, the applicant will take into account the preferences of educators, students with disabilities, and the parents of these students.

Insider's Tip: Grants seekers should specify, in the application, the cost per hour for video description and, if the applicant is proposing both video description and captioning, the cost per hour for video description and for captioning.

Info: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-13143.htm; Jo Ann McCann, 202/245-7434

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