Blindness Skills Specialist Program

LEA Information

Identification as Blind/Visually Impaired

Typically a student is identified as visually impaired by an eye care specialist.  In the state of Missouri, the eye care specialist can be either an optometrist (OD) or ophthalmologist (MD).  To determine if a student is visually impaired, documentation from the eye care specialist is required.  Please note that some agencies will require a current eye report (within one calendar year) from an ophthalmologist before assessments or services are provided.  It is important to get the following information from the eye care specialist:

• The student's visual acuity with correction.

• The diagnosis of the eye condition, including information regarding progression or stability.

• Description of any loss of visual field.

 
Definition of Visual Impairment/Blindness
Visual Impairment, including blindness, means impairment in vision that even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance.  The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

 
Criteria for Initial Determination of Eligibility

 The Missouri State Definition of a Visual Impairment is:

1.  A progressive vision loss that has been diagnosed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist

2.  The student's visual acuity is: 

        a)    20/70 to 20/200 in the better eye with best correction by glasses (Visually Impaired)

        b)    20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction by glasses (Legally Blind)

        c)    or the visual field measures 20 degrees or less (Legally Blind)

AND

3.  The visual impairment adversely affects the child’s educational performance.

 If your school district would like clarification in identification, eligibility criteria, and the definition of visual impairment, please contact the Blind Skills Office:

Jennifer Coy, Blind Skills Specialist
1-800-401-6680 Ext. 4 or 573-651-5077
E-mail: