BRAILLE
Braille
Any child who is visually impaired or has a progressive visual condition is eligible to be evaluated for Braille.
The NJ Special Education Code, Section 6A:14-3.7 Individualized Education
Program states "In the case of a student who is blind or visually impaired,
provide for instruction in Braille and the use of Braille unless the IEP team
determines, after an evaluation of the student's reading and writing skills, and
current and projected needs for instruction in Braille that such instruction is not
appropriate."
IDEA Sec. 300.324 (a) (2) (iii) states " In the case of a child who is blind or visually impaired, provide for instruction in Braille and the use of Braille unless the IEP Team determines, after an evaluation of the child’s reading and writing skills, needs, and appropriate reading and writing media (including an evaluation of the child’s future needs for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille), that instruction in Braille or the use of Braille is not appropriate for the child"
Students with and without functional vision should be evaluated for Braille. The IEP team should work to determine the most appropriate learning media or medias. This can be done through a Learning Media Assessment.
If a child's visual condition is progressive, even if they can currently read print, they should be evaluated for Braille due to their future needs for the use of Braille. Even if a student's vision is not predicted to decrease until later in life, Braille should be taught as early as possible.
To learn more about Braille, explore the links below.