There are many causes of legal blindness, including accidents, injuries, and eye diseases. The four main causes of legal blindness are eye diseases, namely age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Blind people are “legally blind,” but some people who can see with strong eyeglasses say they are legally blind without their glasses. This means that without glasses, they might not see well enough to see certain things, drive, etc. Visual acuity below 20/200 is considered blind under the law, but to truly fit the definition, the person must not be able to achieve 20/200 vision, even with prescription glasses. Many people who would be legally blind without glasses can function well in everyday life with proper glasses or contact lenses. Legal blindness is determined when you wear your last prescription for glasses. There is no such thing as legal blindness “with glasses removed”. There is also no legal blindness in one eye.
Legal blindness, by definition, is based on the best corrected visual acuity of the eye that sees better. If you are completely blind, you cannot see any light or shape. If you`re legally blind like 1.3 million people in the United States, you can still see — but not as clearly. Normal (average) vision is 20/20. This means that you can see a 20-foot object clearly what others can see at 20 feet. If you are legally blind, your vision is 20/200 or less in your eye that sees better. That is, if an object is 200 feet away, you need to stand 20 feet away from it to see it clearly, but a person with normal vision can stand 200 feet away and see that object perfectly. Certain conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetes, can affect your vision to such an extent that you can be diagnosed as legally blind. Legal blindness is determined when you wear your last prescription for glasses.
There is no such thing as legal blindness “with glasses removed”. There is also no legal blindness in one eye. Legal blindness, by definition, is based on the best corrected visual acuity of the eye that sees better. Against the background of legal blindness, these are the consequences of defects or damage in various ocular tissues. The eye is a complex organ, and even the smallest tissue damage can significantly affect vision. For people with legal blindness, different treatment options are available depending on the cause of their visual impairment. However, in some cases, such as retinal degeneration disorders, the symptoms can be treated, but there is no cure. If 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. Being legally blind affects your eyesight, but that doesn`t have to stop you from living a fulfilling life. Contact the American Foundation for the Blind AFB Headquarters 2 Penn Plaza, Suite 1102 New York, NY 10121 Tel: (212) 502-7600 Fax: (888) 545-8331 General Inquiries: Tel.
: (800) 232-5463 (800 AFB-LINE) Although the terms “low vision”, “legal blindness” and “total blindness” may seem similar, they describe different things. Opticians and government agencies generally define legal blindness as a person who has 20/200 vision in the best eye, even with glasses or contact lenses, indicating a significant vision deficit. An estimated 1.1 million Americans are legally blind. Certain conditions, such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes, and macular degeneration, can affect your vision to the point where you can be diagnosed with the disease. Like visual impairment, there are many different definitions of visual impairment. “Visual impairment” is a broad term that describes a wide range of visual functions, from visual impairment to complete blindness. There are many conditions that can cause legal blindness, but the most common are age-related eye diseases. Age-related eye diseases, which are the main causes of low vision and blindness, include: Did you know: The largest letter on the map (an E on most Snellen diagrams) is equivalent to 20/200 vision. If someone cannot distinguish this letter with his prescribed glasses, he is considered blind within the meaning of the law.
There are assistive technologies available to improve the vision of people who are legally blind. For example, eSight is an eyeglass device that can greatly improve vision and improve quality of life. 20/70 can be best understood by examining a standard eye test chart that you may have used in your own doctor`s office during an eye exam. Since legal blindness is a legal rather than a medical term, its definition may vary by location. For example, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom define legal blindness as 20/200 corrected vision in the individual`s best eye using contact lenses or glasses. With 20/200 vision, the person cannot be more than 20 feet (six meters) away to see what a person with normal vision can see at 200 feet (60 meters). 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.
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. Legal blindness is a term that applies to people with a certain threshold of visual impairment (vision 20/200). Remarkably, legal blindness is not the same as total blindness, where a person cannot see anything at all. A person who is legally blind may have some vision and perhaps see things like shapes and colors. Legal blindness can be the result of accidents or eye diseases, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Those who are legally blind may be entitled to disability benefits such as those offered by the Social Security Administration in the United States. Various government agencies and non-governmental organizations also offer benefits and assistance, including low-visibility aids and other tools or resources to improve daily functioning. The visual impairment must be medically verified and validated by an optometrist or other physician in order for the person to receive benefits.
Being legally blind affects your eyesight, but that doesn`t have to stop you from living a fulfilling life. For more information on definitions of statutory blindness, see Assessment of Disability in Social Security, a publication of the Social Security Administration. “Legally blind” is the definition of blindness used by the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine whether a person is eligible for disability benefits, tax exemptions, and training for the visually impaired. Legal blindness includes total blindness, but not all people who are legally blind are completely blind. Many blind people, for example, can see shapes and colors. Update: In 2007, the Social Security Administration updated the criteria for measuring legal blindness when using new vision test diagrams with lines that can measure visual acuity between 20/100 and 20/200. Under the new criteria, if visual acuity is measured using one of the new tables and cannot read any of the letters in line 20/100, a person is considered legally blind, based on a visual acuity of 20/200 or less. American printing house for the blind. What is legal blindness? Legal blindness is not what most people think. It is a level of vision defined by the U.S. government.
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. If you are completely blind, you cannot see any light or shape. If you`re legally blind like 1.3 million people in the United States, you can still see — but not as clearly. 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. 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.