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Ch. 457
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2002 LAWS OF MARYLAND
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(2) "Child who is blind or visually impaired" means a child who:
(i) Has a visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with
correcting lenses or has a limited field of vision so that the widest diameter of the
visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees;
(ii) Has a medically indicated expectation of visual deterioration; or
(iii) Has a medically diagnosed limitation in visual functioning that
restricts the child's ability to read and write standard print at levels expected of other
children of comparable ability and grade level.
(3) "Braille" means the system of reading and writing through touch
commonly known as Standard English Grade 2 Braille.
(4) "COMPUTER BASED INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY" HAS THE
MEANING STATED IN § 7-901 OF THIS ARTICLE.
(5) "Individualized education program" and "IEP team" have the same
meaning as provided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments
of 1997, PL. 105-17, Section 614(d).
(b) (1) In developing the individualized education program for a child
who is blind or visually impaired, provisions shall be made 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 such instruction or use is not appropriate for the child.
(2) A child may not be denied the opportunity for instruction in braille
reading and writing solely because the child has some remaining vision.
(3) This section does not require the exclusive use of braille if other
reading and writing media are appropriate to the child's educational needs. The use of
other reading and writing media does not preclude the use of braille or the instruction
of braille.
(c) For the purpose of achieving successful implementation of this section, the
State Board and the Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board shall adopt
certification standards for teachers of blind and visually impaired students.
(d) (1) The Department shall develop procedures to coordinate the statewide
availability of textbooks and supplementary instructional materials in nonvisually
accessible media.
(2) The State Board shall adopt regulations to require a publisher of a
textbook, including texts in electronic media adopted by a county board to furnish,
upon request, the instructional resource center established under paragraph (1) of
this subsection with an electronic version of pupil edition textbooks for literary
subjects, and for nonliterary subjects when the technology is available to convert,
nonliterary subject textbooks to a format compatible with braille translations
software, in which the content;
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- 3694-
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