Vision Department

Purpose Statement

The purpose of the vision department is to teach adaptive skills to maximize living, learning and working for students with vision impairments from birth to 21 by providing direct instruction to students and/or collaborating with teams in a climate of mutual respect and cooperation.
 

Definitions:

Visual impairment – A visual impairment is a medically diagnosed visual condition which causes significantly reduced vision of 20/70 or greater with best correction in the better eye or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. A specific statewide eligibility requirement must be met before vision services can be initiated. Just 'patching' does not qualify a student for vision services.

Functional Vision Assessment – A functional vision assessment (FVA) is an evaluation given by a teacher of the visually impaired to determine how much usable vision a student has in his/her environment.

Learning Media Assessment – A learning media assessment (LVA) is an evaluation conducted by a teacher of the visually impaired to determine the efficiency with which the student gathers information from various sensory channels such as visual, tactile and auditory.

Orientation and Mobility – Orientation and mobility are part of the educational process that prepares students with visual impairments to travel independently, safely and efficiently.

Low Vision Clinic – The low vision clinic provides a clinical vision examination for children with previously diagnosed visual impairments. This evaluation is conducted by an eye doctor with specialized training in low vision. It generally gives more educational information than a typical eye doctor examination.

Large print philosophy – The decision to use large print should be based upon the results of the learning media assessment and the functional vision assessment. Most students with low vision use regular size print and might use optical devices to enlarge the print. This gives students access to the least restrictive materials. Before enlarging any print materials, please contact the teacher of the visually impaired in your area.
 

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