Deaf-blindness means concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education needs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. 34 C.F.R. 300.7(c)(2).
"Deaf-blind" means medically verified visual loss coupled with medically verified hearing loss that, together, interfere with acquiring information or interacting in the environment. Both conditions need to be present simultaneously and must meet the criteria for both visually impaired, and deaf and hard of hearing. (M.R.3525.1327)
Pupils at risk of being deaf-blind include pupils who:
A. are already identified as deaf or hard of hearing or visually impaired but have not yet had medical or functional evaluation of the other sense (vision or hearing);
B. have an identified condition, such as Usher Syndrome or Optic Atrophy, that includes a potential deterioration of vision or hearing in the future;
C. have a medically or functionally identified hearing loss and a verified deficit in vision determined by a functional evaluation in the learning environment;
D. have a medically or functionally identified vision impairment and verified hearing loss determined by a functional evaluation in the learning environment; or
E. have an identified syndrome or condition such as CHARGE Syndrome that includes hearing and vision loss in combination with multiple disabilities.
Revised 02/04/2008