The government uses the term “statutory blindness” to decide who can receive certain benefits, such as disability or vocational training. This is not the same as being completely blind. Being legally blind affects your eyesight, but that doesn`t have to stop you from living a fulfilling life. Most of our funding comes from people like you. During 2020, we studied the impact of COVID-19 on people who are blind or partially sighted and advocated for meaningful responses to the pandemic. This work is only possible thanks to donations from people like you. If you appreciate the information you found on our website, make a gift today! Basically, if it`s at least 20/70, can`t be corrected — even with touches, glasses, or surgery — and interferes with your daily activities, it can legally be considered a “visual impairment.” That being said, more than 1,000,000 Americans are legally blind. Many of them suffer from diseases such as cataracts, diabetes, glaucoma or macular degeneration, which affect their eyes so much that they can no longer see. If a person with 20/200 vision is legally blind, their field of vision is less than 20 degrees. There are many conditions that can cause legal blindness, but the most common are age-related eye diseases. Age-related eye diseases that are the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness include: “Legal blindness” is a definition used by the U.S. government to determine eligibility for vocational training, rehabilitation, education, disability benefits, equipment for the visually impaired, and tax exemption programs.
It`s not a functional definition of low vision and doesn`t tell us much about what a person can and can`t see. Normal visibility is 20/20. This means that you can clearly see an object from 20 feet away. If you are legally blind, your vision is 20/200 or less in your best eye or your field of vision is less than 20 degrees. That is, if an object is 200 feet away, you must stand 20 feet away from it to see it clearly. But a person with normal vision can stand at 200 feet and see this object perfectly. Cataracts cause clouding of the eye lenses. It is the leading cause of blindness in the world. On an eye prescription, 0.00 represents vision that does not require correction. The numbers indicate the severity of your myopia or farsightedness. The further away from zero (+ or -), the worse the vision.
You measure your eyesight by wearing glasses or contact lenses. Their vision could fall below 20/200 without them. If it improves when you put on your glasses or contact lenses, you are not considered blind under the law. Another way of looking at it: if someone with 20/20 vision is standing next to a legally blind person, the legally blind person should approach up to 20 feet to see an object from 200 feet away, as well as the person with normal vision. Did you know: The largest letter on the diagram (an E on most Snellen diagrams) is a 20/200 vision. If someone cannot distinguish this letter with his prescribed glasses, he is considered blind within the meaning of the law. Total blindness is the complete absence of light perception and shape perception and is recorded as “NLP”, an abbreviation for “no light perception”. An ophthalmologist will measure visual acuity and visual field to determine if a person is legally blind. The definition of legal blindness is used as a guideline to enable these individuals to receive government assistance, such as social security disability benefits. Similarly, the Department of Motor Vehicles has established this recipe as the line in which it is no longer safe for you to drive.
Although you may have poor eyesight, are you really blind within the meaning of the law? There is a legal definition of who and what is considered blind or even “visually impaired”. Are you nearby? Can you get extra benefits from your low eyesight? AMD is a condition that affects the macular region of the retina. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults over the age of 65. Many eye diseases can lead to legal blindness. The most common causes of blindness are:10 The terms may also be used by health insurers to determine benefits and as part of the vision screening tests required by state motor vehicle departments (DMVs) to determine driver`s license eligibility. For safety reasons, people who are legally blind or visually impaired are generally not entitled to a driver`s licence. To be legally blind, you must meet one of two criteria: visual acuity (visual acuity) and field of vision (the full range of what you can see without moving your eyes). If you are completely blind, you cannot see any light or shape. Among people with eye diseases, only about 15% can see nothing at all.
If you are legally blind, you can still see, but not so clearly. American printing house for the blind. What is legal blindness? A positive number (indicated by a “+” sign) refers to hyperopia or hyperopia. A negative number (indicated by a “-” sign) refers to myopia or myopia. Astigmatism is indicated by prescription as part of cylindrical correction (CYL). If there is no number under CYL, it means that there is no astigmatism, or that it is so small that it does not need correction. If you learn that you are legally blind, organizations like the American Foundation for the Blind can help. They have programs to help you cope with the physical and emotional effects of vision loss.
A legally blind person with 20/200 vision (with the best corrective lenses) would have to be 20 feet away from an object to see it, and someone with 20/20 vision could see it from 200 feet away. Like the term “legal blindness,” “visual impairment” is not a functional definition that tells us a lot about what a person can and cannot see. It is more of a classification system than a definition. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, legally blind is not the same as completely blind, which is used to describe the inability to see anything with both eyes. Most people who are legally blind have some eyesight. This means that a person who is legally blind must stand 20 feet away from an object to see it clearly. People with normal vision can stand 200 feet away from the same object and see it clearly. The conditions of right blindness and complete blindness vary widely. Some people who are legally blind have a visual acuity greater than 20/200. However, their peripheral vision is poor. In the United States, a person is blind if: The numbers shown on the prescription refer to the prescribed focusing force.
Part 1 of the U.S. definition of legal blindness says this about visual acuity: If you have any questions about your own visual acuity, or if it`s been a while since you`ve seen an ophthalmologist to determine your vision, contact us. We are happy to assess your vision with a series of painless tests and discuss your concerns. You can talk to the doctor about how you see now and the options available to help you get your best vision possible! People often ask about the difference between being blind and being “legally blind.” Because “blindness” can mean many different things, legal blindness is the threshold at which a person is considered visually impaired for legal purposes, such as for insurance purposes, to receive certain benefits, or to enroll in various programs. It is important to know that the recipe for total blindness is 20/200, but it is after that your vision has been corrected. That is, if your natural eyes see at 20/200, but you can improve it to 80/200 with glasses or contact lenses, then you are not legally blind. People who are legally blind may still be able to see – the problem is that the picture is not very clear. They can still see colors, shapes, lights, and shadows, but they will have trouble seeing things from afar and will need help driving. While low vision or legal blindness can be limiting, there are many resources and tools to help you live your life with the utmost independence.
Depending on the cause of your vision loss, you may be able to benefit from eye exercises and strategies to participate in daily activities. You may also find it helpful to use a stick, talking calculator, special computer software, and other products to help people who are legally blind. A common test for visual acuity is Snellen`s eye chart. Someone who is legally blind could simply read the top row of the chart, a capital E, while wearing corrective lenses. The line under the capital E is the line for 20/100. There are also tests that can measure between 20/200 and 20/100. Someone who can`t see the line for 20/100 but sees somewhere between 20/100 and 20/200 would still meet the government`s standard of legal blindness, which is why they are listed as “20/200 or less.” The reason some people use this term is because there are many different types of “blindness.” People mistakenly believe that all blind people see only darkness or literally nothing at all. In fact, blindness may involve seeing colors or light, or having greater visual acuity in some parts of their field of vision, while others are blurred or absent. Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve.
It can cause blindness. If you`re not completely blind yet, but your vision isn`t what it used to be, you probably fall into the category of visually impaired adults.