The purpose of this publication is to identify the essential components of appropriate programming mandated by Alberta Education for students with special education needs, to provide examples of effective practices, to establish a common understanding of the terminology associated with this specialized field, and to clarify the meaning of appropriateness, taking into account what is reasonable for educational programming for students who are visually impaired or blind. It is intended for classroom teachers, resource personnel, administrators and parents and is one of a series of documents developed to facilitate programming for students in grades 1 to 12 who have special education needs. Other topics in the Essential Components of Educational programming series include programming for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, programming for students with autism spectrum disorders (ED492187), and programming for students with behaviour disabilities. The ten essential components listed in this document are contained in the Standards for Special Education, Amended June 2004 (ED491438) and are therefore mandated by Alberta Education. Each component is considered essential to the provision of a comprehensive program. However, the manner in which the components are implemented may be affected by such practical considerations as availability of resources and needs of the particular student. The sample indicators are examples of effective practices that illustrate the implementation of the essential component. The indicators will vary because of the unique strengths and needs of individual students. It is not the intent to list all possible indicators or to require all listed indicators for every student. An appendix provides the "Expanded Core Curriculum." A glossary of key terms is also included. [This document was produced by Alberta Education.]