Hearing or Visually Impaired Services

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) provides information on services for students with hearing and vision impairments at its Web site. The following links to information and resources are excerpted from the VDOE’s Web site: Special Education-Specific Disabilities-Sensory Disabilities. School divisions are required to annually post this information on their Web sites and inform the parents of students with hearing and vision impairments of its availability. Packets of this information are also required to be available in an accessible format for parents who do not have Internet access.

Guidance Documents

• Guidelines for Working With Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Virginia Public Schools
   
• Guidelines for Working With Students Who are Blind or Visually Impaired in Virginia Public Schools
   
• Superintendent's Memo #198-16: Implementation of Unified English Braille for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
   
• Attachment A. Superintendent's Memo #198-16: Unified English Braille Implementation Plan for Virginia Public Schools

Statewide Resources

• Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (VSDB) - The VSDB is located in Staunton, Virginia and provides a day program and outreach services, as well as a residential setting exclusively to students who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, or deaf-blind. The VSDB Outreach Services assist early intervention providers, local school divisions, and families in meeting the needs of children in the Commonwealth. The VSDB’s admission policy is available at the above Web site.
   
• Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) - The VDDHH provides standards for educational interpreting services and other services to reduce the communication barriers between persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families and the professionals who serve them.
   
• Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) – The DBVI’s primary focus is to assist Virginians who are blind in achieving quality employment outcomes. Vocational evaluation, job training, job development, placement, follow-up and other services are provided to assist consumers in obtaining jobs in the public and private sectors. The DBVI’s education services program provides services to early intervention providers, school personnel, and families to help children to be successful in school and the community, and to prepare for the future. The Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired offers training in the skills of blindness to blind and vision- impaired Virginians and encourages people to develop positive attitudes about blindness. The Library and Resource Center provides services to local school divisions to support the education of children who are blind or visually impaired. Library services are also offered to persons who are print disabled.
   
• Virginia Project for Children and Young Adults With Deaf-Blindness - This office provides technical assistance, training, distance education and networking information to families, service providers and individuals who are deaf-blind/dual sensory impaired.
   
• Technical Assistance Center for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and VNOC - This center provides training and technical assistance in the area of deafness/hard of hearing. Assistance is available to local public school systems as well as early intervention and preschool programs through the Virginia Network of Consultants for Professionals Working with Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (VNOC).
   
• Accessible Instructional Materials Center-VA (AIM-VA) – The AIM-VA’s extensive library has developed an alternative system of providing accessible educational media under standards set by federal law (NIMAS) to students who meet the federal requirements for print disabilities and who are eligible for accessing educational media under individual IEPs, as required under Part B of IDEA. The AIM-VA, in conjunction with partnering agencies, provides required accessible educational materials to students with an IEP and training for staff, at no cost to Local Educational Agencies.