                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN (§ 22.1-217)

A. Special education for visually impaired children provided by a school
division shall be established, maintained and operated jointly by the school
board and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired subject to
the regulations of the Board of Education. Braille instruction shall be included
in the student&#8217;s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), whenever
appropriate. When developing the IEP for students with visual impairment, the
presumption shall be that proficiency in literacy is essential for such student
to achieve satisfactory educational progress. However, use of Braille shall not
be required if other special education services are more appropriate to the
student&#8217;s educational needs, and the provision of other appropriate
services shall not preclude Braille instruction.

B. The Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired shall prepare and
deliver a program of special education services in addition to the special
education provided in the public school system designed to meet the educational
needs of visually impaired children between the ages of birth and twenty-one and
may prepare and deliver such programs for such individuals of other ages. In the
development of such a program, the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision
Impaired shall cooperate with the Board of Education and the school boards of
the several school divisions. The Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision
Impaired shall assist the Board of Education and the school boards of the
several school divisions with in-service training in Braille for currently
employed teachers of students who are blind and visually impaired.

C. As used in this section:
			&#8220;Braille&#8221; means the system of reading and writing through touch
and is commonly known as standard English Braille Grade 2.
			&#8220;Program&#8221; means a modified program which provides special
materials or services and may include the employment of itinerant teachers or
resource room teachers for the visually impaired.
			&#8220;Visually impaired&#8221; shall be defined by the Board of Education
and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 22-10.7; 1974, c. 480; 1978, c. 386; 1980, c. 559; 1990,
c. 803; 1992, c. 755; 1995, c. 750; 1998, c. 852.