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    ​​Certification Staffing Policy Guidelines (CSPGs)

    ​CSPG 60 - Visually Impaired PK-12

    ​Instructional Area Code 9290
    Modified: February 1, 2023

    The Visually Impaired certification area includes the science or art of providing educational services to infants, children and young adults with visual impairments which adversely affect their educational performance, and a program that prepares individuals to teach such students

    Grade Level Scope of Certificate

    An educator holding a valid Pennsylvania Visually Impaired certificate is qualified to teach PK-12 students with visual impairments without additional content-specific certification.

    Certification Assignment

    A person holding a valid Pennsylvania Visually Impaired certificate is qualified to assess and develop individual education programs and provide instruction for students with visual impairments.

    The certified educator is qualified to provide instruction in classroom orientation and mobility including the use of human guide techniques (classroom orientation, search techniques, locating dropped objects, spatial and position concepts, and trailing within the classroom). 

    Special Considerations

    An educator certified in this field may:

    • Provide professional development;
    • Serve in the role of mentor or advisor; and
    • Assist students in understanding how to read content area materials.

    References

    Program Specific Guidelines for Certification

    CSPG 202 - Orientation and Mobility Specialist

    22 PA Code: Chapter 4: §4.21, §4.22, §4.23

    Chapter 49: §49.11, §49.81, §49.85

    Chapter 14

    PA Public School Code: §1202, §1212, §1604

    This revision supersedes all earlier CSPG’s carrying this number and/or addressing this subject. Previous printing dates on this subject: 2/61, 3/75, 3/78, 2/82; 1/87, 4/92, 7/04.

    Summary of Changes

    ​Date of Revisions
    		​Major Changes to CSPG #60
    ​2/1/2023
    • ​Clarified that a corresponding content-specific certification is not necessary for certificate issuance or to teach students with visual impairments.
    ​12/1/2014
    • Clarification to Grade Level Scope of Certificate (§49.85).
    • Clarification to Special Considerations.
    • Clarification of Restrictions.
    ​7/1/2004
    • Title and number change to CSPG #60 – Visually Impaired.
    • This certificate holder may access and develop individual education programs, provide instruction for blind/visually impaired students and apply applicable laws and policies.
    • A change to five individual instructional CSPG’s and a supervisory CSPG from one comprehensive CSPG #50 that previously covered all special education instructional and supervisory areas.
    ​4/1/1992

    ​CSPG #50 – Special Education Certification and Assignment Scope K-12

    • Certificates titled Hearing Impaired, Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Hearing Handicapped or Speech-Hearing Handicapped may render diagnostic, prescriptive and therapeutic services in instructional programs designed to serve handicapped students having hearing disorders.
    • Certificates titled Visually Handicapped or Visually Impaired may render diagnostic, prescriptive and therapeutic services in instructional programs designed to serve students who are blind or partially sighted.
    • Certificates titled Mentally Retarded, Physically Handicapped, Socially and Emotionally Disturbed, Emotionally Disturbed, or Mentally and/or Physically Handicapped may render diagnostic, prescriptive and therapeutic services in instructional programs designed to serve students having one or more of the following disabilities: mentally retarded, brain injured, physically handicapped, learning disabled, and socially and/or emotionally disturbed.
    • Certificates titled Speech and Language Impaired, Speech Correctionist, Speech and Hearing Disorders, or Speech Correction may render diagnostic, prescriptive and therapeutic services in instructional programs designed to serve students having speech and language disorders.
    • Letters of Authorization:
      An authorization letter (given through school year 1975-76 and discontinued before the 1976-77 school year) from the Department of Education to assign Elementary certificate holders to teach pupils having learning disabilities; grandfathering existed for  uninterrupted service in the assignment.
    • Special Education certified persons engaged with special education-identified students in cooperative education activities must also hold a Cooperative Education certificate.
    ​3/1/1975

    ​CSPG #50 – Certification in Special Education

    • Effective 7/1/1969 certificates no longer issued:
      • Speech Correctionist, and Speech and Hearing Disorders.
        • New certificate - Speech Correction.
      • Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
        • New certificate - Hearing Impaired.
      • Visually Handicapped.
        • New certificate - Visually Impaired.
      • Mentally Retarded, Physically Handicapped, Socially and Emotionally Maladjusted.
        • New certificate - Mentally Retarded, Physically Handicapped Emotionally Disturbed.
    • Gifted programs may be taught by a teacher certified in the area of scheduled instruction.
    • A Social Restoration certificate may be used for remedial instruction in basic learning skills except in the area of diagnostic reading and except for special education identified students.

    ​2/1/1961

    ​Regulation – Comprehensive College Certificates in Special Education-Visually Handicapped

    • Comprehensive College Certificate in Elementary or Secondary Education and an area in Special Education – 48 semester hours.
    • An Elementary/Secondary certificate could be extended for teaching exceptional children:
      • 6 semester hours of courses in the area of psychology of exceptional children with emphasis on psychological aspects of blindness.
      • 12 semester hours of special preparation in curriculum and methodology for partially sighted and blind children including typewriting, audio-visual aids and braille.
      • Student teaching and observation for visually handicapped.