SB1824 • 2026

blindness compensatory skills; teaching certificates

SB1824 - blindness compensatory skills; teaching certificates

Education Healthcare

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 bill uses 'may' for adopting implementation rules but 'shall' for prescribing deadlines, indicating some flexibility in rule creation but a requirement to set timelines.

SB1824: Rules for Teachers of Blind or Visually Impaired Students

This law requires the State Board of Education to create rules ensuring teachers who provide specific instruction to blind or visually impaired students hold required certifications.

What This Bill Does

Requires the state board of education to adopt rules for teaching blindness compensatory skills aligned with the expanded core curriculum.
Mandates that teachers providing orientation and mobility instruction possess a nationally recognized certification, an equivalent approved by the state board, or a specialist certification approved by the state board.
Mandates that teachers providing rehabilitation or independent living skills instruction possess a nationally recognized certification in rehabilitation teaching for the blind, an equivalent approved by the state board, or a vision rehabilitation therapist certification.
Allows the state board of education to set deadlines by which current teachers must meet these new requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

The State Board of Education
Teachers who provide orientation and mobility instruction to blind pupils or visually impaired pupils
Teachers who provide rehabilitation instruction or independent living skills instruction to blind pupils or visually impaired pupils

Terms To Know

Blind pupil: A student who cannot use vision as a primary and efficient mode of learning, has low visual acuity preventing the use of vision for learning, or has a medical prognosis of losing more sight.
Compensatory skill: A specific ability a blind pupil or visually impaired pupil needs to access all areas of the general curriculum.
Expanded core curriculum: Knowledge, concepts, and skills that sighted students learn naturally but must be directly taught to blind pupils or visually impaired pupils.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not state the specific dates by which teachers must obtain their new certifications.
The exact details of the rules are not in this text because they will be created later by the State Board of Education.

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