As used in this Part, the following terms have the following meanings:

            (1) “Blind student” means an individual who is identified by a functional vision assessment as having vision loss which interferes with the ability to perform academically and which requires the use of specialized textbooks, techniques, materials, or equipment to access the same academic content as the student’s sighted peers or who has one of the following:

            (a) A visual acuity of 20/70 or less, near acuity in the better eye with correcting lenses, or both, or has a limited field of vision such that the widest diameter subtends an angular distance of no greater than twenty degrees.

            (b) A progressive loss of vision which may in the future affect the student’s ability to learn.

            (c) Other blindness resulting from a medically documented condition that could include bilateral dysfunction of the optic radiations, the visual cortex, or both. This may coexist with ocular and ocular motor disorders and may be the result of perinatal brain dysfunction or trauma.

            (2) “Braille” means the system of reading and writing through touch commonly known as standard English Braille.

            (3) “Functional vision assessment” is an organized plan for observing how a student uses vision to perform routine tasks within the educational environment and assesses whether a visual impairment is interfering with the student’s ability to access educational content.

            (4) “Individualized Education Program” means a written statement developed for a student eligible for special education services pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1401.

            Acts 1992, No. 923, §1; Acts 2017, No. 97, §1; Acts 2022, No. 302, §1, eff. June 10, 2022; Acts 2022, No. 374, §1.