Saint Paul Public Schools
 | Special Education Home > Due Process > Eligibility Criteria and Worksheets |
VI VISUALLY IMPAIRED (VI) MN Rule 3525.1345 Eligibility Criteria A pupil is eligible as having a visual disability and in need of special education when the pupil meets one of the criteria in item A and one of the criteria in item B: A. Medical documentation of a diagnosed visual impairment by a licensed eye specialist establishing one or more of the following conditions: (1) visual acuity of 20/60 or less in the better eye with the best conventional correction; (a) estimation of acuity is acceptable for difficult-to-test pupils; and (b) for pupils not yet enrolled in kindergarten, measured acuity must be significantly deviant from what is developmentally age-appropriate; (2) visual field of 20 degrees or less, or bilateral scotomas; or (3) a congenital or degenerating eye condition including, for example, progressive cataract, glaucoma, or retinitis pigmentosa; and B. functional evaluation of visual abilities conducted by a licensed teacher of the visually impaired that determines that the pupil: (1) has limited ability in visually accessing program-appropriate educational media and materials including, for example, textbooks, photocopies, ditto copies, chalkboards, computers, or environmental signs, without modification; (2) has limited ability to visually access the full range of program-appropriate educational materials and media without accommodating actions including, for example, changes in posture, body movement, focal distance, or squinting; (3) demonstrates variable visual ability due to environmental factors including, for example, contrast, weather, color, or movement, that cannot be controlled; or (4) experiences reduced or variable visual ability due to visual fatigue or factors common to the eye condition. |
