Section 340.1717. Deaf-blindness defined; determination.

(1) Deaf-blindness means concomitant hearing impairment and visual impairment, the combination of which causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that cannot be  accommodated  in  special education programs without  additional  supports to address  the unique needs specific to deaf-blindness. Deaf-blindness also means both of the following:

(a)     Documented  hearing   and  visual  losses    that,   if   considered individually, may not meet the requirements for visual impairment or hearing impairment, but the combination of the  losses  affects  educational performance.

(b)   Such students function as if they have both a hearing and visual loss, based upon responses to auditory and visual stimuli in the environment, or during vision and hearing evaluations.

(2) A determination of the disability shall be based upon data provided by a multidisciplinary evaluation team which shall include assessment data from all of the following:

(a)   Medical specialists such as any of the following:

(i)   An ophthalmologist.

(ii)   An optometrist.

(iii)   An audiologist.

(iv)   An otolaryngologist.

(v)   An otologist.

(vi)    A family physician or any other approved physician as defined in 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.1101 et seq.

(b)   A teacher of students with visual impairment.

(c)   A teacher of students with hearing impairment.

History: 2004 AACS.