SB1824 • 2026

blindness compensatory skills; teaching certificates

SB1824 - blindness compensatory skills; teaching certificates

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: David C. Farnsworth
Last action: 2026-02-09
Official status: Senate second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on when teachers must meet these certification requirements or how existing teachers without current certifications will be affected.

Blindness Compensatory Skills; Teaching Certificates

This bill requires the State Board of Education to establish rules for high-quality blindness compensatory skills instruction, including specific certification requirements for teachers providing orientation and mobility training or rehabilitation/independent living skills instruction.

What This Bill Does

Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules ensuring blind pupils and visually impaired pupils receive appropriate high-quality blindness compensatory skills instruction aligned with the expanded core curriculum.
Specifies that teachers providing orientation and mobility instruction must hold a nationally recognized certification or an equivalent one approved by the board.
States that teachers giving rehabilitation or independent living skills instruction need a national certification in rehabilitation teaching for the blind, vision rehabilitation therapy, or an equivalent one approved by the board.

Who It Names or Affects

Teachers who instruct blind or visually impaired students
The State Board of Education

Terms To Know

Blind pupil: A student who cannot successfully use vision as a primary and efficient mode of learning, exhibits low visual acuity or field, or has a medically indicated prognosis of visual deterioration.
Compensatory skill: Skills needed by blind or visually impaired students to access all areas of the general curriculum.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when teachers must meet these certification requirements.
It is unclear how existing teachers will be affected if they do not currently hold the required certifications.

Bill History

2026-02-09 Senate
Senate second read
2026-02-05 Senate
Senate Rules: None
2026-02-05 Senate
Senate Education: None
2026-02-05 Senate
Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1824 - blindness compensatory skills; teaching certificates

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1824 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
blindness compensatory skills; teaching certificates

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1824

Introduced by

Senator
Farnsworth

AN
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 2, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-214.01; relating to the
state board of education.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 2, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-214.01, to read:

START_STATUTE
15-214.01.

Blindness compensatory skills; teacher certification; rules;
definitions

A. The state board of education shall
adopt rules to ensure that blind pupils and visually IMPAIRED PUPILS receive
appropriate high-quality blindness compensatory skills instruction that
is aligned with the expanded core curriculum by requiring:

1. teachers who provide orientation
and mobility instruction to blind pupils or visually impaired pupils to possess
and maintain either:

(
a
) A
nationally recognized orientation and mobility certification, or an equivalent
certification approved by the state board of education.

(
b
) An
orientation and mobility specialist certification approved by the state board
of education.

2. teachers who provide
rehabilitation instruction or independent living skills instruction to blind
pupils or visually impaired pupils to possess and maintain either:

(
a
) A
nationally recognized certification in rehabilitation teaching for the blind,
or an equivalent certification approved by the state board of education.

(
b
) A vision
rehabilitation therapist certification.

B. The state board of education may
adopt rules to implement this section and shall prescribe deadlines for
teachers to satisfy the requirements prescribed by subsection A of this
section.�

C. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Blind pupil" means a
pupil who meets any of the following:

(
a
) Cannot
successfully use vision as a primary and efficient mode of learning.

(
b
) Exhibits a
low visual acuity or low visual field and, as a result, does not use vision as
a primary mode of learning.

(
c
) Has a
medically indicated prognosis of visual deterioration.

2. "Compensatory skill"
means a skill that a blind pupil or visually impaired pupil needs to access all
areas of the general curriculum.

3. "Expanded core
curriculum" includes the knowledge, concepts and skills that are learned
incidentally by pupils who are not blind pupils or visually impaired pupils and
that must be directly taught to blind pupils or visually impaired pupils.

4. "Orientation and
mobility" means the ability to travel safely and effectively in an
environment by using alternative blindness skills.

5. "Rehabilitation
instruction" means instruction in compensatory skills and access
technology skills that are necessary to perform daily living activities.�
END_STATUTE