Virginia Law

A. Eligibility shall be determined without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, creed, color, or national origin. No individual shall be excluded or found ineligible solely on the basis of the type of disability or on the basis of age. No residence requirement shall be imposed that excludes from services any individual who is presently in the Commonwealth.

B. To be eligible for rehabilitation teaching and independent living services, an individual must have a visual limitation that constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to personal independent functioning, and there must be a reasonable expectation that rehabilitation teaching and independent living services will significantly assist the individual to improve his ability to cope with blindness and to function more independently. An individual has a visual limitation if the individual:

1. Is a "blind person" as defined in 22VAC45-70-10;

2. Has distance vision of 20/70 to 20/200 in the better eye with correcting glasses or a field limitation to 30 degrees or less in the better eye, has been unable to adjust to the loss of vision and has been determined by the rehabilitation teacher t to be in need of the specialized services available through the DBVI rehabilitation teaching and independent living program; or

3. Has night blindness or a rapidly progressive eye condition which, in the opinion of a qualified ophthalmologist or optometrist, will reduce the distance vision to 20/200 or less.