What Does it Mean to be Legally Blind? (2024)

FAQs

What Does it Mean to be Legally Blind? ›

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.

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.

Legal blindness does not mean that a person cannot see at all. People who are legally blind often have some vision, but their field of vision may be very narrow or blurry. Or they may have blind spots that glasses cannot correct.

If You Are Blind Or Visually Impaired

You may be entitled to receive Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). To learn if you or someone you know may be eligible for these programs, visit our Disability Benefits or SSI Benefits pages.

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.

Basically, if it is at least 20/70, is uncorrectable—even with contacts, glasses or surgery—and interferes with your daily activities, it can be legally considered “low vision.” In order to be legally blind, you must have a visual acuity of 20/200.

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.

Legally blind residents in California may be entitled to two primary forms of disability benefits: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Each program has distinct eligibility requirements and benefits.

We apply a higher SGA, $2,590 if you are blind (effective January 2024). The local Social Security office personnel does not make the disability determination. The local Social Security office sends the claim to a State agency that we call the Disability Determination Services (DDS).

If you're legally blind, you can still see -- just not that clearly. Normal vision is 20/20. That means you can clearly see an object 20 feet away. 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.

Is there a tax credit for being blind? ›

Key Takeaways

A blind taxpayer is any individual in the U.S. whose lack of vision qualifies them for a special tax deduction accorded to blind persons. Blind taxpayers get the same standard deductions as taxpayers over age 65.

In general, bad eyesight refers to any vision less than 20/20. This is a general standard followed by most optometrists—any vision different than this often needs some kind of vision correction to clearly see the world and safely navigate the environment.

Typically, eye doctors will set their limits to +6 for farsightedness, -12 for nearsightedness, and 6 diopters for astigmatism. However, not all laser strengths are the same, so there's some wiggle room. Plus, someone with a -12 prescription might be approved for LASIK while someone with a -9 prescription isn't.

Someone with a visual acuity of 20/400 can see at 20 feet what someone with normal sight can see at 400 feet. A normal visual field is about 160-170 degrees horizontally. Vision impairment severity may be categorized differently for certain purposes.

Anyone whose field of vision falls at or below 20 degrees, who wears corrective glasses but whose vision is 20/200 or less in his best eye, or who has no eyesight at all, meets the legal definition of being blind and is eligible for certain tax deductions. Who is considered blind by the IRS.

20/70 means you have to stand at 20 feet to see clearly what people with 20/20 vision can see at 70 feet. 20/130 is more severe and means you have to stand at 20 feet to see what you should be able to see at 130 feet.

What is 20/80 Vision? Doctor Moosa of Excel Laser Vision Institute, a LASIK eye center in Los Angeles, explains that when a person has 20/80 vision, the individual's eyesight is already in the low vision range. 20/80 is an average visual impairment as regulated by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO).