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Read. Follow. Verify.Arizona SB 1824 requires certification standards for teachers instructing blind and visually impaired students
Last action · February 9, 2026: Senate Second ReadingSponsor: Dave Farnsworth
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What This Bill Proposed
The bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt rules ensuring blind and visually impaired students receive high-quality blindness compensatory skills instruction. It would mandate that teachers providing instruction, rehabilitation, or independent living skills possess and maintain specific nationally recognized or state-approved certifications.
The measure establishes mandatory qualification benchmarks for specialists serving blind and visually impaired students across Arizona public schools, creating new credentialing requirements for educators in these specific disability support roles.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Teachers providing orientation and mobility instruction
Must possess and maintain a nationally recognized or board-approved certification to continue providing instruction.
Blind and visually impaired pupils
Key Facts
- The State Board of Education must adopt rules ensuring blind and visually impaired students receive appropriate high-quality blindness compensatory skills instruction aligned with the expanded core curriculum.
- Teachers providing orientation and mobility instruction must hold a nationally recognized certification, an equivalent board-approved certification, or an approved orientation and mobility specialist certification.
- Teachers providing rehabilitation instruction or independent living skills instruction must hold a nationally recognized certification in rehabilitation teaching for the blind, an equivalent board-approved certification, or a vision rehabilitation therapist certification.
- The State Board of Education may adopt rules to implement the section and must prescribe deadlines for teachers to satisfy the requirements.
Show all 9 facts
- A 'blind pupil' is defined to include students who cannot successfully use vision as a primary mode of learning, exhibit low visual acuity/field, or have a medically indicated prognosis of visual deterioration.
- 'Compensatory skill' is defined as a skill a blind or visually impaired pupil needs to access all areas of the general curriculum.
- 'Expanded core curriculum' includes knowledge, concepts, and skills learned incidentally by sighted peers that must be directly taught to blind or visually impaired pupils.
- 'Orientation and mobility' means the ability to travel safely and effectively in an environment by using alternative blindness skills.
- 'Rehabilitation instruction' means instruction in compensatory skills and access technology skills necessary to perform daily living activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who defines what qualifies as a 'blind pupil' under this bill?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the Senate floor.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 9, 2026SenateFloorSenate Second Reading
- Feb 5, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate First Reading
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.azleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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