Literacy and Engagement with Historical Records

Definition of a Print Disability

A print disability is a disability that makes it difficult, or impossible, for an individual to visually read standard print because of a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability. The term “print disability” originates in copyright law. In 1996, an amendment was added to the U.S. Copyright Act. This amendment is commonly known as the Chafee Amendment. This amendment allowed authorized entities to convert print materials to specialized formats for the exclusive use of individuals who have a condition that qualifies as a print disability under the 1931 “Act to provide books for the adult blind.” The Library of Congress (LOC) issued regulations that described eligibility categories and descriptions. These evolved until 1974 and have remained essentially unchanged since then. They are as follows:

• Blind persons

• Visual disability

• Physical limitations

• Reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction

Individuals with a print disability may:

• not be able to see words

• have difficulty seeing words

• have significant problems learning to read

• confuse similar-looking letters and numbers

• have difficulty recognizing and remembering sight words

• lose place while reading

• have poor memory of printed words

• confuse similar looking words (e.g., beard/bread)

• have weak comprehension of ideas/themes

• reverse letter order in words (e.g., saw/was)

• have problems associating letter and sounds

• guess at unfamiliar words rather than using word-analysis skills

• have trouble naming letters

• read slowly

• substitute or leave out words while reading

• have poor retention of new vocabulary

• dislike and avoid reading or read reluctantly

• have difficulty understanding the difference between sounds in words or blending sounds into words