Virginia Decodedhttps://vacode.org7542051.5-111Persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing defined and categorized20253.2-6588Persons With DisabilitiesDepartment for the Deaf and Hard-Of-Hearing

For the purposes of this chapter, persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing include those who experience hearing losses that range from a mild hearing loss to a profound hearing loss. They are categorized as follows:

1. Persons who are deaf are those whose hearing is totally impaired or whose hearing, with or without amplification, is so seriously impaired that the primary means of receiving spoken communication is through visual input such as lip-reading, sign language, finger spelling, reading or writing.

2. Persons who are hard-of-hearing are those whose hearing is impaired to an extent that makes hearing difficult but does not preclude the understanding of spoken communication through the ear alone, with or without a hearing aid.

1984, c. 670, § 63.1-85.3:1; 2002, c. 747.