Deaf-Blind is a disability in which a student has simultaneous hearing and vision impairments that significantly affect how they access information, communicate, and interact with the world around them.  The combination of these impairments creates unique educational needs that cannot be met through services designed for students who have a sole hearing impairment or a sole vision impairment.

Deafblindness does not only mean a child is fully deaf and fully blind; it includes a wide range of hearing and sight levels that occur at the same time and have a unique impact. Simply put, if a student meets the criteria for deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired, then the student likley meets eligibility for deafblindness and the Minnesota Rule for Deaf-Blind should be considered. The combination of Deaf-Blindness causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that should be addressed jointly.

IEP teams should also consider evaluating hearing and vision levels when a student has at-risk potential, such as an identified condition or syndrome, including extreme prematurity, CHARGE Syndrome, or Usher Syndrome. See the list of syndromes on the Minnesota DeafBlind Project webpage for more information.