Vision impairment can be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act.
We consider you to be blind if your vision can't be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye. We also consider you blind if your visual field is 20 degrees or less in your better eye for a period that lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months.
If you have poor or partial eyesight, you might be able to qualify for disability benefits. The qualification depends on eyesight in both eyes, and if you are considered legally blind. You are considered to be legally blind if your vision cannot be corrected to be better than 20/200 in your “better eye.”
Legal blindness is not necessarily the same as total blindness. All totally blind people are legally blind. Some legally blind persons who have some usable vision are considered to have low vision. There must be some usable vision remaining in the eyes to be considered low vision.
Unfortunately, low vision is usually permanent. Eyeglasses, medicine, and surgery can't usually cure low vision — but sometimes they can improve vision, help you do everyday activities more easily, or keep your vision from getting worse.
Whether you are totally, legally, or partially blind, you may be eligible for the Social Security Administration's Disability benefits for the blind. In order to qualify, the SSA requires that your vision loss be quite significant and be present in both eyes. Those blind in one eye are not eligible.
If you're legally blind, your vision is 20/200 or less in your better eye or your field of vision is less than 20 degrees. That means if an object is 200 feet away, you have to stand 20 feet from it in order to see it clearly. But a person with normal vision can stand 200 feet away and see that object perfectly.
There are some different terms used to describe levels of vision disability. These terms include, 'Partially Sighted,' 'Low-Vision,' 'Legally Blind,', and 'Totally Blind. ' Partially Sighted means the person has some form of visual disability that may require special education.
The leading causes of blindness and low vision in the United States are primarily age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
The International Classification of Diseases 11 (2018) classifies vision impairment into two groups, distance and near presenting vision impairment. Distance vision impairment: Mild – visual acuity worse than 6/12 to 6/18. Moderate – visual acuity worse than 6/18 to 6/60.
The definition of visual impairment is “a decrease in the ability to see to a certain degree that causes problems not fixable by usual means, such as glasses.” Blindness is “the state of being unable to see due to injury, disease or genetic condition.”
20/70 to 20/160, this is considered moderate visual impairment, or moderate low vision. 20/200 or worse, this is considered severe visual impairment, or severe low vision. 20/500 to 20/1000, this is considered profound visual impairment or profound low vision.
During this test, you may be considered legally blind if your peripheral vision is about 20° or less. Once you've taken these tests, you may need help reading your prescription. If your prescription is -2.5 or lower, you are legally blind, as visual acuity of -2.5 is equivalent to 20/200 vision.
Visual acuity less than 20/200 is considered legally blind, but to actually fit the definition, the person must not be able to attain 20/200 vision even with prescription eyewear. Many people who would be legally blind without eyewear can function well in everyday life with appropriate glasses or contact lenses.
Wearing glasses is not considered a disability, regardless of the prescription strength. In fact, visual impairment is legally determined by "best corrected vision." This is a person's best visual acuity while wearing corrective lenses.
Can I still drive? You may still be able to drive a car or motorcycle if you have monocular vision if your other eye has good enough vision to meet the legal standards set by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and you have adapted to the sight loss in one eye.
As the people in the video testimonials illustrate, you can continue to lead an independent lifestyle and enjoy everyday activities. Walking, cycling, bowling, or swimming… people with low vision can do it all!
The prevalence of people that have distance visual impairment is 3.44%, of whom 0.49% are blind and 2.95% have MSVI. A further 1.1 billion people are estimated to have functional presbyopia.
At the age of 45, less than 1 percent of people are likely to have low vision, but by the age of 75, that jumps to almost 5 percent, and then to fifteen percent by the age of 85. Having said that, you could have an age-related eye disease without any life-changing symptoms for years, or even decades.