How does national classification work for a vision impairment?

Vision impairment (VI) classification follows its own process and evaluations may occur outside of an athletics competition. The Canadian Blind Sports Association is responsible for determining eligibility.

1. Confirm you meet the Athletics Canada eligibility criteria.
2. Complete the Request for National Classification form and await a response from Athletics Canada's Classification Lead.
3. Submit a Medical Diagnostic Form (MDF) for Vision Impairments, completed by an ophthalmologist.
4. Submit supporting medical documentation about the diagnosed eye condition. The Classification Lead tells you which documents are needed once approved.
5. National VI classifiers review the documentation remotely. You may require field testing or additional tests.
6. You receive a sport class (for example T/F13) and a status (Confirmed "C", Review "R" or Fixed Review Date "FRD"), and are listed in the National Classification Database.

Source: Athletics Canada National Classification Guidelines: https://athletics.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/National-Classification-Guidelines.pdf