"It's all about access."

The Birth to Three Program

Our agency provides assistance and support to families who have just learned that their child has a visual impairment. DVI Education staff provide activities (such as visual, tactual, and/or auditory games and techniques) which will encourage the development and adaptive skills of the child. Infants and toddlers receive services in the home or at other early intervention settings.

The K through 12 Program

Our Teachers for the Visually Impaired (TVI) provide itinerant services to visually impaired children, which include assessment, direct instruction and/or consultation. These services are provided to families and to personnel in Delaware school districts, charter schools and private schools where there are visually impaired students in the classroom. Our Teachers for the Visually impaired work in every Delaware school district and with every local education agency to ensure that students with visual impairments are able to access education programs equal to that of their peers.

The program also assists in the provision (and instruction on use) of appropriately formatted educational materials (such as Braille and Large Print), and assistive technology to visually impaired students. Vision-specific aids and equipment that will assist the student in the classroom are also provided. Staff provides consultation to the families and school personnel on how to meet the educational needs of each student with a visual impairment.

Eligibility

Children in Delaware that are eligible for our education program services must meet one the following criteria:

• A vision related diagnosis of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction, or a peripheral field so contracted that the widest diameter of such field subtends less than 20 degrees.
• Or, diagnosed as Partially Sighted with a visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200 in the better eye after best correction, or a disease, condition or impairment of the eye or visual system that seriously affects visual function directly, not perceptually.
• Or, have a degenerative eye disease, which in the opinion of a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist, is expected to reduce, in the future, either visual acuity or visual field, resulting in partial sight or blindness.
• A licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist shall document that a child has one of the conditions mentioned.
• The IEP team, with DVI, shall consider the documentation of visual impairment in addition to other information relevant to the child's condition in determining eligibility for special education services.

The Division for the Visually Impaired staff works closely with the Delaware Department of Education, Delaware's local education agencies (LEAs), Child Development Watch, and other organizations involved with children who have visual impairments.

Our education program is proud to be a participating member in Quality Programs for Students with Visual Impairments (QPVI).