An educational classification, not a medical diagnosis. A medical or clinical diagnosis does not automatically qualify a child for an IEP, and a child can qualify under IDEA without one. Eligibility is an educational team decision based on evaluation data. These are educational classifications, not medical diagnoses.
What it means
Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child educational performance. The category covers both partial sight and blindness.
What it can include
- Low vision or partial sight
- Blindness
- Need for braille, magnification, or other access tools
How it affects school
Supports can include braille or large-print materials, assistive technology, orientation and mobility training, and instruction from a teacher of students with visual impairments.
How IEP eligibility works
To qualify for an IEP under this category, an evaluation team generally must find three things to be true:
- A qualifying disability. The child is evaluated and found to have one or more of the 13 disability categories defined under IDEA.
- An adverse effect on learning. The disability must adversely affect the child educational performance. A label by itself is not enough.
- A need for specially designed instruction. Because of the disability, the child needs special education and related services to access their education.
Common questions
My child wears glasses. Does that qualify them?
Usually not by itself. The category applies when vision adversely affects learning even with correction such as glasses, and the child needs specially designed instruction.
Will my child learn braille?
Possibly. The team decides based on the child needs, which may include braille, large print, magnification, technology, or a combination.
Have a question about your own child? Ada can explain how this category and IDEA apply to your situation in plain language.
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