New Mexico School for the
Blind and Visually Impaired

Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)

Cortical visual impairment Visual impairment caused by damage to the part of the brain related to vision. Although the eye is normal, the brain cannot properly process the information it receives. The degree of vision loss may be mild or severe and can vary greatly, even from day to day. Cortical visual impairment may be temporary or permanent. People with cortical visual impairment have difficulty using what their eye sees. For example, they may have trouble recognizing faces, interpreting drawings, perceiving depth, or distinguishing between background and foreground. Children with cortical visual impairment are often able to see better when told in advance what to look for. Cortical visual impairment is also known as neurological visual impairment (NVI).

Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI, also called cortical visual impairment) is a brain-based visual condition that affects pathways involved in processing incoming visual information via neural networks throughout the brain. CVI describes deficiency in the function of vision due to damage or malfunction of visual pathways and centers in the brain, specifically including the pathways serving visual perception, cognition, and visual guidance of movements, in any combination or degree. It is a condition that indicates that the visual systems of the brain do not consistently understand or interpret what the eyes see. (Lueck & Dutton, Vision & the Brain, AFB Press, 2015)

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NIVI Project (NMSBVI)

NMSBVI, an innovative leader and unifying entity in the field of educating students birth high school who are blind or visually impaired, will identify and ensure quality education through collaborative relationships with students, families, and local/ state/national partners to provide outstanding advocacy, training, resources, and support services, thus ensuring that all students who are blind or visually impaired will become independent, productive members of their communities.

Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH)