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The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education (BSE), is requesting signed applications from Local Education Agencies (LEAs) interested in providing stipends to eligible school employees* who complete the Pennsylvania Braille Code Project during the 2026-2027 school year.
Outcomes of the Pennsylvania Braille Code Project include:
Increased capacity of school employees to expand opportunities for students to practice braille skills throughout the school day.
Enhance educational supports for students who are blind or visually impaired through increased foundational knowledge of Unified English Braille among school employees.
*For the purposes of this stipend project, a school employee is defined as any individual employed by an LEA during the 2026-2027 school year,
regardless of position, role, or job classification.*
BRAILLE CODE PROJECT OVERVIEW
BRAILLE CODE PROJECT OVERVIEW
Through a partnership with the Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE), school employees will complete structured foundational braille training using the National Library Service (NLS) Unified English Braille curriculum (modules 1-12), receive individualized coaching from experienced braille instructors, and participate in statewide networking sessions.
Participating LEAs will provide a $5,000 stipend to eligible school employees who successfully complete all program requirements during the 2026-2027 school year and submit for reimbursement from PaTTAN/Intermediate Unit 1.
The Pennsylvania Braille Code Project builds the capacity of school employees to reinforce braille instruction provided by certified Teachers of the Visually Impaired and support timely access to braille materials. Completion of the project does not qualify participants to provide braille instruction independently.
APPLICATION PROCESS
APPLICATION PROCESS
LEA completes the application.
LEA receives approval from the APR Core Team.
LEA completes the enrollment form to enroll school employees.
LEA receives a contract from PaTTAN West/Intermediate Unit 1.
Enrolled employees participate in the Braille Transcriber Program through Utah State University and participate in PaTTAN networking.
Grant Forms
Grant Forms
GRANT OVERVIEW
GRANT OVERVIEW
Watch the Overview Recording to learn more about the grant requirements and application process.
Preview a PDF of the grant application by clicking on the hyperlink or document below.
Braille Code Application PDF.pdfPreview a PDF of the enrollment form by clicking on the document below. Click the hyperlink to access the live form.
2025-2026 Master's Level SLP Stipend Enrollment.pdfApproved LEAs for the Braille Code Project
Approved LEAs for the Braille Code Project
To be an approved provider of the Braille Code Project Stipend, LEAs must meet the requirements listed in section III of the application.
Support the school employee's completion of National Library of Science Unified English Braille lessons 1–12 and associated assignments, representing approximately 100 hours of course-related activities, to be completed between November 2026 and June 2027.
Provide the school employee with release time to attend the three 45-minute networking sessions offered by the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN).
Provide time for the school employee to participate in the monthly TAESE braille coaching meetings from November 2026 through June 2027, requiring approximately 1–2 hours per month.
Support the school employee with the submission of required program surveys.
Utilize the awarded funds from the Bureau of Special Education to compensate the school employee a total of $5,000.00.
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) including approved private schools, charter schools, chartered schools for the Deaf and Blind, cyber charter schools, intermediate units, and school districts are encouraged to submit completed applications. To be an eligible site, completed applications must be received and approved by the APR Core Team by October 31, 2026.
$5,000 will be available from October 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, to award to Braille Code Project completers.
Eastern Region LEAs
Eastern Region LEAs
Name of LEA Location Contact Information
Central Region LEAs
Central Region LEAs
Name of LEA Location Contact Information
Western Region LEAs
Western Region LEAs
Name of LEA Location Contact Information
Have questions or need more information? Contact:
Amanda Winnor - PaTTAN West Assistant Director or Christine Moon - APR State Point of Contact
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