The term deaf-blind, which may be referred to as dual sensory impaired, means a disability that:
- Is a concomitant hearing and vision loss or reduction in functional hearing and vision capacity.
- Causes significant communication and adaptive behavior deficits
- Adversely affects the student’s educational performance; and
- Cannot be accommodated for by use of:
- A program or service designed solely for students who are deaf or hard of hearing or
- A program or service designed solely for students who are blind or have low vision.
A student who is solely deaf-blind is not considered to be a student who has multiple disabilities as defined in state law.
Identification and eligibility for special education is determined by a case conference committee using the required assessment components. See “Required Assessment Components for Eligibility Areas”.
NOTE: The required medical reports for this disability should be completed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist and educational or clinical audiologist, otologist, or otolaryngologist.