Educational Visual Impairment and Eligibility

What is a Visual Impairment

Visual impairment is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide spectrum of visual functions ranging from moderate vision loss to blindness. It includes individuals who are blind, have low vision, CVI, or other trauma to the brain’s visual components. It is most often caused by a disease, disorder, syndrome, or brain injury. A visual impairment may progressively worse, stabilize, or improve depending on the diagnosis.
Visual impairments most frequently impact:

ability to see visual detail at a distance or near (visual acuity);
non-seeing or distorted areas within a student’s visual area (visual field) that may result in significant visual instability during visual activities such as reading;
daily activities; and/or,
safe mobility.

Examples of additional visual skills and factors that may be impacted by a student’s visual impairment include the ability to:

see low contrast visual detail; 
tolerate bright light and glare; 
adapt to changes in environmental illumination, 
maneuver safely due to difficulties with stereovision, or depth perception; and, 
discern complex visual information.

Visual deficits in these areas adversely impact a student’s ability to learn and perform daily activities, as well as affect the student’s orientation and mobility.

Educational Visual Impairment Eligibility

The educational definition of visual impairment, as outlined by IDEA, determines eligibility for special education services and the need for specially designed instruction to access the educational curriculum across multiple settings. Unlike medical definitions of visual impairment, the educational definition does not stipulate any diagnostic criteria measurements (e.g., visual acuity such as 20/70, a visual field such as less than 20 degrees) nor diagnosed eye condition. While it is best practice to ask for an eye report during the assessment for eligibility and reevaluation process, one cannot be required, nor can a visual acuity and/or visual field range be stipulated.

Different Definitions of Visual Impairment

The IDEA definition of visual impairment is broad in scope. This is to ensure that a student’s functional vision is not negatively impacting their ability to access their educational program. These services are designed to provide necessary supports and services to meet the unique needs of each learner. However, students who qualify for educational vision impairment services may be excluded from additional services outside of the educational environment. This is due to the more limited definition of visual impairment that organizations and community services providers may have. The simple fact is that there is not one set definition accepted by the education community, the medical community, and the government.  Therefore, a student and their family must understand that while in school the student may be recognized as having a visual impairment but may not be recognized as such by organizations such as the Office of Vocational Services’ Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, University Disability Services, or Social Security. To see a sample of different visual impairment definitions refer to the table “Examples of Visual Impairment Definitions.”

Individaul with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA)

Defines visual impairment including blindness as "an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. [§300.8 (c)(13)]

World Health Organization(WHO)

Classifies visual impairment into distance (mild, moderate, severe, and blindness) and near.

National Eye Institute (NIH)

Defines visual impairment as visual activity of 20/40 or worse in the better-seeing eye with correction, excluding blindness. Whereas, blindness is defined as visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the better seeing eye with correction. Both low vision and blindness are included in the category "All Visual Impairment".

Social Security

Visual acuity measured between 20/100 and 20/200, with the inability to read any of the letters on the 20/100 line, is determined to statutory blindness based on visual acuity of 20/200 or less. Visual field loss equal to or less than 20 degrees diameter. [2.00(5b)]

Resources

OSEP 17-05 Memorandum: Eligibility Determinations for Children Suspected of Having a Visual Impairment Including Blindness under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Teachers' Desk Reference: Visual Impairment.
This issues focuses on what teachers need to know about educating students with visual impairments in the general education classroom.

BVI Assessments