Education
Determining special education instruction and related services for blind students is based on the framework outlined in the Expanded Core Curriculum for Blind and Visually Impaired Students, also known as the ECC. Historically, blind students were educated in segregated specialized schools. Often there was only one school for the blind in the entire state, causing blind students to travel long distances and be separated from their families for extended periods. After the desegregation movement, many blind students began to be educated in their home communities. While inclusion raised educational standards for blind students, it also created gaps in their education. Educators of blind students developed the ECC to help local schools address the gaps in a blind student’s education formerly addressed at the specialized schools. The ECC standard of practice was recognized as one of the resources in the USDOE Policy Guidance of 2000.
The ECC identifies nine skill areas:
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Compensatory Access
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Sensory Efficiency
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Assistive Technology
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Orientation and Mobility
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Social Interaction
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Self-Determination
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Independent Living
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Recreation and Leisure
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Career Education
Expanded Core Curriculum for BVI Student: A Framework for Instruction
This section will focus on four of the ECC skill areas: Compensatory Access, Sensory Efficiency, Assistive Technology, and Orientation and Mobility.
Learn more about the ECC.