COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
Department of Education

October 17, 2014

TO:  Division Superintendents

FROM:  Steven R. Staples, Superintendent of Public Instruction

SUBJECT:  Services for Students Identified as Hearing or Visually Impaired

The Code of Virginia at § 22.1-217.01 requires school boards to distribute information to parents of those students who are identified as hearing impaired or visually impaired as follows:

The Department of Education shall annually prepare and distribute to local school boards packets of information describing the educational and other services available through the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired to students who are identified as hearing impaired or visually impaired. Local school boards shall annually distribute this information to the parents of those students who are identified as hearing impaired or visually impaired.

Guidance documents and other resources are available at the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) Web site.  Administrators and teachers may reprint the VDOE guidance information to share with parents.  School divisions have permission to provide paper copies as well as alternate formats at public schools and public libraries.

Attached is a compilation of information and resources.  Questions may be directed to Wanda Council, education specialist, Office of Special Education Instructional Services, at 804-371-4059, or by e-mail at Wanda.Council@doe.virginia.gov.

SRS/WC/dj

Attachment:

1. Services for HI and VI – Revised September 2014 (Word)