Admissions

Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI) Admissions

ISVI admits students between the ages of 5 and 22 who are blind or visually impaired and reside in Illinois, provided that:

  1. The student has been identified by a qualified ophthalmologist or optometrist as having a severe visual disability that impacts his educational progress;
  2. The student's local school district has recommended that the student be admitted because exceptional characteristics have been determined to be so profound, complex or otherwise unique that the local district's special education program cannot adequately or appropriately meet the student's total education needs;
  3. Parents may also choose to utilize "Direct Referral" in order to request evaluation and placement of their child at ISVI;
  4. It has been determined through the application and evaluation process that ISVI can provide an appropriate program.

We are pleased that you are interested in learning more about the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired. We encourage you to visit the different areas in our Web site by starting at our home page. This will help you and your student get a general idea of the educational, athletic, social, and resource opportunities provided by our school.

Efforts have been made to design an admissions process that is as easy as possible while providing necessary information. Once it has been determined by you or your student's IEP team that ISVI is the appropriate educational placement for your child, there are two basic components to the application process: first, we recommend a visit to the school and secondly, completing an application packet.

When you and your student visit our school, you will have the opportunity to meet some of the staff who are responsible for student educational and residential experiences. There will also be a time for you to see the facilities and programs, talk to some of our students, administrators and faculty members, and to have your questions answered in person. We believe it is important for parents/guardians and students to have a first-hand knowledge of our school. It is also important for us to get to know you personally!

The application packet consists of several documents that need to be completed by parents, your student's physician, and personnel at your student's current school. After visiting ISVI, should you like to receive an application packet, just let us know.

If you would like to talk to someone regarding our admissions process or request a visit to ISVI please contact our Intake Coordinator, Stefanie Ortman. 

For further information, please contact:

Admissions
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
658 E. State Street
Jacksonville, IL 62650-2130
Office Phone: (217) 479-4404
E-mail:  DHS.ISVIAdmissions@illinois.gov

Title IX Coordinator and Information

 http://intranet.dhs.illinois.gov/oneweb/page.aspx?item=126048