[Ohio-talk] Proposal To Ohio Department of Education Standards urgent action needed

[Eric Duffy]

On Tuesday afternoon I attended a meeting of the OSU Advisory Bord for the
teeacher training program. I learned that the Ohio Department of Education
is considering changes to standards that could impact services to blind
students in a negative way. 

Please read the below and attached information and act as soon as possible
If you have questions or concerns please let me know. 

.

Thanks.

Eric

 

Please use this information to respond to the proposed changes.  Please
forward and share this information to any other individuals who may assist
in providing feedback to ODE regarding these proposed changes as well.


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Attention:          Administrators, educators, therapists, parents,
stakeholders and individuals who are involved in the support and services of
students who are blind and visually impaired

The Ohio Department of Education is proposing changes to the ODE Operating
Standards and VI Qualifications that will affect the population of students
who are receiving related services under the category of “Visual
Impairment.”

These proposed changes may require VI professionals to work with students
who are not visually impaired, but those who have dyslexia, binocular
dysfunction or visual processing disorders.  

What can we do?

Please take a moment to visit the ODE website at:
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&Topi
cRelationID=967&ContentID=136416&Content=140476

Click on “Click here to comment”

Select:  3310-51-01:  Applicability of requirements and definitions

Enter your comments into the “Comments Section” of this page.  
If you would like to submit a “General Statement” as opposed to original
comments, please feel free to “cut and paste” the following statement:

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I do not support the proposed changes to the ODE Operating Standards.  The
proposed definition makes the category of visual impairment less definitive
and vague, as there are conditions and disorders that simulate visual
impairment, but are more medical in nature.  For instance, conditions such
as dyslexia or visual processing disorder are not considered visual
impairments, but learning disabilities.

Please consider changing the qualifications for students with visual
impairments to the following:

A student with a visual impairment is one who has been determined to meet
the criteria for visual impairment as stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(13) -
“Visual impairment” including blindness means an impairment in vision that,
even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
The term includes both partial sight and blindness.”

The visual loss should be stated in exact measures of visual field and
corrected visual acuity at a distance and at close range in each eye in a
report by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist. The report should also
include prognosis whenever possible. If exact measures cannot be obtained,
the eye specialist must so state and provide best estimates. In meeting the
criteria stated in 34 CFR, §300.8(c)(13), a student with a visual impairment
is one who: 
            (I) has been determined by a licensed ophthalmologist or
optometrist to have: 

(I) a visual impairment, not primarily perceptual in nature, resulting in a
measured visual acuity of 20/70 or poorer in the better eye with correction;
or 
                                    
(II)  a total field loss of 140 degrees, or more; or

(III) a physical eye condition that affects visual functioning to the extent
that special education placement, materials and/or services are required in
an educational setting; or

(IV) a progressive medical condition that will result in no vision or a
serious visual loss after correction.”

Submit

*All comments are submitted anonymously.  You are allowed to visit the site
and submit your concerns more than one time, to ensure that our concerns are
documented.

All comments must be submitted prior to Thursday, March 14th to be
considered in the next draft.

**********

If you are interested in reading more about this proposal and the response
of the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB) to the ODE changes, please
refer to the attached document prepared by a team of educators at OSSB,
approved by the OSSB administration and the members of The Ohio State
University Advisory Board for Visual Impairments 

If you or your organization would like to submit a similar written statement
to ODE, please feel free to use the information contained within the
attached document for informational purposes.




Danene K. Fast, COMS/TVI
Outreach Consultant
(614) 995-0405
dfast at ossb.oh.gov 


 
“Celebrating 175 Years of Excellence”
Ohio State School for the Blind
5220 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43214
www.ossb.oh.gov

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