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Low Vision Reimbursement Program and Procedures

Program Purpose and Definition

Purpose

The purpose of the Low Vision Reimbursement Program is to help each special education local plan area (SELPA) acquire large print textbooks and other instructional materials, video magnifiers (closed circuit televisions), and/or nonprescription optical aids to enable students with visual impairments access textbooks and other print materials included in the general curriculum. This program covers students enrolled in California public elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.

Definition

Low vision is a term used to describe a permanent and significant loss of visual function, including visual acuity (the ability to see detail), visual field (the ability to see a large area of about 175 degrees), or both. Low vision cannot be corrected with conventional glasses, contact lenses, surgery or medication.

Low vision is not to be confused with legal blindness, which is defined in federal law for use by the Social Security Administration or Internal Revenue Service as “central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye after best possible standard correction or visual field of no greater than 20 degrees.” A central visual acuity of 20/200 means that a person can only see visual detail such as a letter or word at a distance of 20 feet but that can be seen by a normally sighted person at a distance of 200 feet. LEGAL BLINDNESS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME AS TOTAL BLINDNESS. All totally blind people are legally blind, but legally blind persons who have some usable vision are considered to have low vision. There must be some usable vision remaining to be considered as low vision.

To be eligible for special education, a pupil must have a visual impairment which, even with correction, adversely affects his or her education performance. For educational purposes, the term visually impaired includes: 1) functionally blind students, who because of the severity of their visual impairment, rely basically on senses other than sight as their major channels for learning; and 2) low vision students who use sight as a major channel for learning. A visual impairment does not include visual perceptual or visual motor dysfunction resulting solely from a learning disability.

A video magnifier, a closed-circuit television (CCTV), is a versatile technology that consists of a stand-mounted or hand-held video camera to display a magnified image onto a video monitor, a television (TV) screen, or a computer monitor. It enables students with low vision to read textbooks, workbooks, newspapers, magazines, and other print materials as letters from friends and family and to view photographs, charts, graphs, and illustrations.

A nonprescription optical aid is any magnification device that allows students to view objects and print more closely. These aids include a large variety of lenses that magnify and monoculars that are used with one eye and can be hand-held or mounted on eyeglasses.

Low Vision Reimbursement Program Procedures

Each SELPA wishing to participate in the Low Vision Reimbursement Program must adhere to the following procedures:

1. File an annual letter of intent with the Clearinghouse for Specialized Media and Technology (CSMT).
2. Assure that a student (from kindergarten through grade eight only) requires the large print version of a textbook(s) adopted by the State Board of Education, a video magnifier, or non-prescription optical aid to access the general curriculum.
3. Search the Price Lists of Adopted Instructional Materials or contact the publisher to check the availability of a suitable alternate format.
4. Search the CSMT’s Instructional Materials Ordering and Distribution System (IMODS) to determine if the textbook or optical aid is available.
5. Consult with other professionals to determine which video magnifier is best suited to the student.
6. Search the American Printing House for the Blind APH (Outside Source) Louis Database Accessible Materials and APH File Repository to determine if the large print book is available from another source.
7. Post a query on CDE's Braille-N-Teach e-mail listserv to determine if the item is available on loan from another program before purchasing a new large print book, video magnifier, or optical aid.
8. Place an order with a large print vendor that has demonstrated the ability to produce large print books in accordance with California’s large print guidelines, in a timely manner, and at the lowest cost only after determining that the large print book is not available from the CSMT, APH, or another program. All large print books shall be produced in compliance with the attached Large Print Vendors Responsibilities.
9. Place an order with a vendor who can provide the appropriate video magnifier or nonprescription optical aid in a timely manner at the lowest cost only after determining that such a visual aid is not available from the CSMT, APH, or from another SELPA.
10. Request CSMT to reimburse up to $2000 for each video magnifier and full cost of large print books and nonprescription optical aids.  For reimbursement, the SELPA is required to submit the following documents to CSMT:
    • Completed Low Vision Reimbursement Program Claim form
    • Copy of all bids, purchase orders, and stock received reports
    • Copy of paid invoice
    • Large Print Vendor Responsibilities form signed by the large print vendor
    • Copy of query posted on CDE’s Braille-N-Teach list service
11. Send the large print books when no longer needed by students within the SELPA to the CSMT Media Warehouse located at 3740 Seaport Blvd., #20, West Sacramento, CA  95691.
12. Share the video magnifiers and nonprescription optical aids with adjoining SELPAS when no longer needed by students within the SELPA, or post their availability on the CDE’s Braille-N-Teach list service.
13. Dispose broken or obsolete equipment in accordance with local district policy, in compliance with the California Education Code sections 17545-17555.

Low Vision Reimbursement Program Forms

Annual Letter of Intent
Low Vision Reimbursement Program Claim
Large Print Vendor Responsibilities