The BCIU provides vision support services to visually impaired students ages 5 through 22 from various Berks County school districts.
Based on Part 300 of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Pennsylvania’s Chapter 14, Special Education Services and Programs State Regulations, the definition of a visual impairment is: ‘An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.”
The education of visually impaired students includes team planning and the use of adaptations to meet the specific visual needs of the student. Educational services will include an assurance that instructional materials are available to students in the appropriate media and at the same time as their fully sighted peers.
Vision support services include:
BCIU Vision Support services are provided through a certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and include: