Pratt-Smoot Act
Encyclopedia
The Pratt-Smoot Act was passed by the United States
Congress, and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover
on March 3, 1931. It was introduced by Ruth Baker Pratt
and Reed Smoot
. J. Robert Atkinson, founder of the Braille Institute of America
, was instrumental in getting the act passed through his lobbying efforts.
The Act provided $100,000, to be administered by the Library of Congress
, to provide blind adults with books. The program, which is known as Books for the Blind
, has been heavily amended and expanded over the years, and remains in place today.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Congress, and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
on March 3, 1931. It was introduced by Ruth Baker Pratt
Ruth Baker Pratt
Ruth Baker Pratt , was an American politician and the first congresswoman to be elected from New York.-Early life:...
and Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot (U. S. Senator)
Reed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...
. J. Robert Atkinson, founder of the Braille Institute of America
Braille Institute of America
The Braille Institute of America is a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles providing services and coordinating events for the visually impaired. The organization produces over 5 million pages of Braille texts per year...
, was instrumental in getting the act passed through his lobbying efforts.
The Act provided $100,000, to be administered by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, to provide blind adults with books. The program, which is known as Books for the Blind
Books for the Blind
Books for the Blind also referred to as Talking Books is a program in the United States which provides audio recordings of books in a proprietary cassette tape format, along with a cassette player supporting that format, free of charge to people who are blind or visually impaired...
, has been heavily amended and expanded over the years, and remains in place today.
External links
- History of the program (with a state of Michigan emphasis): http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17445_19270_28958-79831--,00.html