Named for the first deaf student to be formally educated in the U.S. and the beloved teacher of Helen Keller, respectively, the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act will ensure that:
every child who is deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind, regardless of whether they have additional disabilities, will be properly counted and served;
each of a child's unique learning needs will be properly evaluated;
states will engage in strategic planning to be sure that they can in fact meet each child's specialized needs;
the U.S. Department of Education will do its part to hold states and schools accountable;
students who are deaf will be served by qualified personnel;
students who are blind will receive state-of-the-art services and skills supported through a new major national collaborative initiative addressing their unique learning needs;
and students who are deaf-blind will have access to trained and qualified interveners.
