A child who has a visual impairment, including blindness, is one who has an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects his/her educational performance.  The term includes both partial sight and blindness.  

A student with a visual impairment is one who

• Has been determined by a liscensed ophthalmologist or optometrist
  • to have no vision or to have serious visual loss after correction or
  • to have a progressive medical condition that will result in no vision or a serious visual loss after correction.
• Has been determined by the following evaluations to have a need for special services:
  •  A functional vision evaluation (FVE) by a professional certified in the education of students with visual impairments or a certified orientation and mobility specialist.  The evaluation must include the performance of tasks in a variety of environments requiring the use of both near and distance vision evaluation and an orientation and mobility evaluation.
  • A learning media assessment (LMA) by a professional certified in the education of students with visual impairments.  The evaluation must include recommendations concerning which specific visual, tactual, and/or auditory learning media are appropriate for the student and whether there is a need for ongoing evaluation in this area.  

A student who has a visual impairment is functionally blind, if based on the previously described evaluations, the student will use tactual media (Braille) as a primary tool for communication.