Legal blindness means that your visual acuity is worse than 20/200 or a visual field that is less than 20 degrees even with the best possible correction. In order words, if your prescription is -2.5 or lower, this means that you are legally blind.
Before we jump into what each section means, as a general rule, the higher the numbers on your prescription, the worse your eyesight is and the stronger your prescription will be to provide the necessary correction. Mild: -0.50 to -3. Moderate: -3.25 to -5.00. High: -5.25 to -10.
What prescription is considered legally blind? Legal blindness is defined as 20/200 vision. 14 The prescription equivalent is -2.5. It is important to note that prescriptions for corrective lenses are different for each person, and measurements can be different for each eye.
In order to be legally blind, you must have a visual acuity of 20/200. This means that even with glasses or contacts, you can only read the first letter at the top of the Snellen Chart, if that. You can also be legally blind if you can see, but only in a very small window in your eye.
If your prescription is -2.5 or lower, this means that you are legally blind. Visual acuity of -2.5 is equivalent to 20/200 vision. Visual acuity of -3.0, for instance, means that you have 20/250 or 20/300 vision. From there, visual acuity of -4.0 means that you have 20/400 vision.
First: What does it mean to be "legally blind?" In most states, if you have distance visual acuity less than 20/200 that is not correctable with glasses/contact lenses, you are legally considered to be "severely visually handicapped" (which used to be called "legally blind").
The difference between mild and severe nearsightedness is just a few inches. Those with mild nearsightedness (-2 prescription) start to have blurry vision for objects more than 20 inches away, and those who are very highly nearsighted (-8 prescription) start to see blur for objects more than 5 inches away.
The definition of legal blindness is 20/200 vision WITH correction. If you see better than 20/200 with your -7.00 on you are NOT legally blind. If you were -100.00 and could see better than 20/200 with your glasses you would not be legally blind either.
Legally blind in the US is best corrected vision (with glasses or contacts) that is 20/200 or worse OR visual field limited to 20 degrees (meaning loss of peripheral vision).
A -5 eye and a -7 eye are not much differently at risk, but both are significantly more at risk of retinal problems than a more normal, non-myopic eye. These are rare, though, so no cause for alarm.
You are better than the “normal” person and you have better than what is considered to be standard or normal, vision. If you have 20/10 vision, you can see at 20 feet, what a normal person can see at 10 feet from an eye chart.
Since being legally blind is determined by visual acuity and field of vision, this generally means that those with a prescription of -2.5 or lower in either or both eyes are considered legally blind.
If your vision is worse than 20/200 you are considered legally blind. However, to be legally blind, you have to see worse than 20/200 even with correction. Since -6.00 can be fully corrected with spectacles or contact lenses, you are not legally blind.
At -9, you have very high myopia, i.e., no functional distance vision. Unless glasses or contact lenses do not correct your vision, then I'd say it's bad.
Having a prescription of -8.50D just means you are very short-sighted and as long as you can see around 20/20 with Spectacles or contact lens, you are not legally blind. If when wearing spectacles or contact lenses and the vision in one eye is 20/200 or worse then you would be legally blind.
A lens Rx for -14 Diopters tells us you have a very, very high degree of nearsightedness (myopia). This would be considered in the "severe" range.
So, what is a legally blind prescription? Legal blindness means that your visual acuity is worse than 20/200 or a visual field that is less than 20 degrees even with the best possible correction. In order words, if your prescription is -2.5 or lower, this means that you are legally blind.
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.
The definition of a 'high myope' is greater than -6.0. What eye prescription strength would be classified as "legally blind"? You are legally blind when your visual acuity drops below 20/200 even with best possible correction or if you have a visual field less than 20 degrees.
Legally blind refers to vision that is 20/200 or less in your better eye that cannot be corrected with standard glasses or contacts, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. Certain conditions, like glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration can cause one to be legally blind.
A refractive error greater than -6 is when an optometrist might diagnose high myopia in a patient. Low myopia can have a refractive error as low as -0.25, while moderate myopia caps out at -5.75. If left untreated and with age, high myopia can progressively worsen to a greater degree of refractive error.
For people who have less visual acuity, they may be 20/40 or 20/60. The largest letter on the chart (an E on most Snellen charts) corresponds to 20/200 vision. If someone cannot distinguish that letter without assistance, they are considered legally blind.
Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye) is too curved. This causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of on it. As a result, distant objects appear blurred while close objects appear normal. The maximum negative eye power is typically around -20 diopters.
20/200 - This is the level at which you are considered to be legally blind. That means a person with 20/200 vision has to be 20 feet away from an object to see clearly, whereas a person with normal eyesight can see clearly at 200 feet away.
Legally blind means a person has a corrected vision of 20/200 in their best-seeing eye. If visual aids such as glasses can correct a person's vision to 20/20, they are not considered legally blind. Totally blind refers to a complete loss of sight.