Virginia Regulatory Town Hall

Proposed Text

highlight

Action:
Update agency name and add Code of Virginia, Virginia ...
Stage: Fast-Track
 

CHAPTER 100
REGULATIONS GOVERNING DEAF-BLIND DEAFBLIND SERVICES

Part I
Introduction

22VAC45-100-10. Definitions.

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Blindness, legal blindness" means the condition as defined in §§ 63.1-142 and 63.1-166 of the Code of Virginia.

 "Blind person," as defined in § 51.5-60 of the Code of Virginia, means an individual who has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, as measured with best correction, or a limitation in the field of vision in the better eye, such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle of 20 degrees or less.

"Client" means any person receiving a service provided by Deaf-Blind Services of the Department for the Visually Handicapped.

"Deaf" means those individuals who cannot hear and understand speech through the ear alone under normal conditions, with or without amplification; a hearing loss greater than 70 decibels in the better ear without amplification; a speech discrimination score below 40%; or both.

"Deaf-Blind  DeafBlind  Services" means special services assistance and supports ]  a client would need due to person needs because of  a combined loss of vision and hearing; , i.e., including an  interpreter for the deaf-blinda person who is deafblind; communication skills assessment and training; and assessment of special aids and devices such as tactile or visual signaling systems, telecommunication devices, and assistive listening devices.

 "DBVI" means the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired. 

 "Department" means the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired. 

 "Persons who are deaf," as defined in § 51.5-111(1) of the Code of Virginia, means individuals whose hearing is totally impaired or whose hearing, with or without amplification, is so seriously impaired that the primary means of receiving spoken communication is through visual input such as lip-reading, sign language, finger spelling, reading, or writing. 

 "Persons who are deafblind," pursuant to 29 USC § 1905(2)(A) and 20 USC § 1905(2)(B), means individuals: (i) who have central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with corrective lenses, or a field defect such that the peripheral diameter of visual fields subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees, or a progressive visual loss having a prognosis leading to one or both of these conditions; (ii) who have a chronic hearing impairment so severe that most speech cannot be understood with optimum amplification, or a progressive hearing loss having a prognosis leading to this condition; (iii) for whom the combination of impairments described in this definition cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychological adjustment or obtaining a vocation; and (iv) who, despite the inability to be measured accurately for hearing and vision loss due to cognitive or behavorial constraints, or both, can be determined through functional and performance assessments to have severe hearing and visual disabilities that cause extreme difficulty in attaining independence in daily life activities, achieving psychological adjustment or obtaining vocational objectives. 

"Hard of hearingPersons who are hard-of-hearing," as defined in § 51.5-111(2) of the Code of Virginia, means those individuals whose hearing is impaired to an extent that makes hearing difficult but does not preclude the understanding of spoken communication through the ear alone, with or without amplification. Hearing loss is in the range of 30 decibels to 70 decibels, a speech discrimination score below 75%, or botha hearing aid.

"Severely visually impaired" means vision no better than 20/70 in the better eye with correction or a field of vision restricted to 70 degrees or less in the better eye.

"Speech discrimination" means the ability to hear and understand spoken communication.

Part II
Eligibility

22VAC45-100-20. Eligibility.

An individual who is blind or severely visually impaired, and also deaf or hard-of-hearing is eligible for deaf-blinddeafblind services.

Part III
Services

22VAC45-100-30. Delivery of services.

It is the intent of these regulations that deaf-blind clientspersons who are deafblind be fully integrated into the service programs provided by the department to the extent practical.

Procedures for the delivery of deaf-blind services canmay be found in the DBVI manuals of the following agency programs: Intake and Social Services; Independent Living Rehabilitation Services; Rehabilitation Teaching Services; Vocational Rehabilitation Services; Program for Infants, Children, Youth; Volunteer Services; and Low Vision. Rehabilitation Teaching and Independent Living Services, Education Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation Services.