(1) Eligibility requirements are applied without regard to sex, race, creed, color, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or natural origin of the individual applying for service. No group of individuals is excluded from service solely on the basis of the type of disability or on the basis of age.

(2) No residence requirement is imposed which excludes from services any individual who is present in the state.

(3) Eligibility is based only upon:

(a) The presence of a severe physical or mental disability, which shall include a visual disability defined as follows:

(i) Legal blindness or visual impairment as they are customarily defined either in terms of a qualifying reduction in visual acuity and/or a qualifying reduction in visual field.

(ii) A visual impairment which is progressive in nature and can be expected to lead to blindness within a reasonable period of time.

(iii) Reduction in both visual acuity and visual fields is such that the effect is substantially that of legal blindness, or visual efficiency is reduced so as to have substantially the same effect as legal blindness.

(iv) A visual impairment which makes it impossible for the individual to perform successfully in one or more of life's functions;

(b) The presence of a severe limitation in ability to function independently in family or community or to engage or continue in employment; and

(c) A reasonable expectation that independent living rehabilitation services will significantly assist the individual to improve his or her ability to function independently in family or community or to engage or continue employment.

For purposes of determining an individual's eligibility for independent living services, improvement in ability to function independently in family or community refers to a demonstration in functional and behavioral terms of an individual's greater independence or maintenance of independence in such areas as self-care, activities of daily living, using public transportation, shopping, housekeeping, communicating, or living more independently.