Striem-Amit E, Gen M, Amedi A. „Visual acuity of congenital blind persons by visual sensory substitution for auditory. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33136. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033136 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.“ Legal incapacity status varies depending on the cause and stage of the visual impairment and the extent to which it affects a person`s ability to drive, work, read or perform other daily activities. We consider you to be legally blind to a period of disability and to the payment of disability insurance benefits if we determine that you are legally blind. Legal blindness is defined in the law as a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a corrective lens. An eye that has a limitation in the field of vision, such that the widest diameter of the field of view has an angle not exceeding 20 degrees, is considered a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less. Their blindness must satisfy the permanent requirement of § 404.1509.

We do not take into account certain criminal and imprisonment-related offences as explained in § 404.1506. Legal blindness occurs when a person has a central visual acuity (vision that allows a person to see right in front of them) of 20/200 or less in their best eye with correction. With a visual acuity of 20/200, a person can see at 20 feet what a person with a vision of 20/20 sees at 200 feet. A visual acuity exam is an eye exam that tests a person`s ability to identify the shapes and details of objects presented. Visual acuity is expressed as a fraction. A person with normal vision will have a visual acuity of 20/20. A person is considered legally blind if a visual impairment limits vision to 20/200 or one-tenth of normal vision. 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. Visual acuity is a number that indicates the sharpness or clarity of vision. A visual acuity measurement of 20/70 means that a person with 20/70 vision who is 20 feet away from an eye map sees what a person with intact vision (or 20/20) can see from 70 feet away.

A living room seen through a narrowed field of vision. Source: Making Life More Liveable. Use with permission. 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). People who are legally blind are not always completely blind, so they may be able to read. However, reading can be difficult depending on the degree of impairment. An eSight tool can help blind people perform everyday tasks such as reading. When determining right blindness, the field of vision (the part of a person`s vision that allows them to see what is happening on their end) is also taken into account. A field of vision of 20 degrees or less is considered blind under the law. Ophthalmologists can help diagnose right blindness. Total blindness describes a complete lack of light and perception of form.

In other words, completely blind people cannot see the light and cannot see the shape of anything in front of them. Total blindness is rare – 85% of people with eye diseases have some vision, meaning that only about 15% of people with eye disease go completely blind. An ophthalmologist will measure visual acuity and visual field to determine if a person is legally blind. There are two types of AMD: dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration occurs when the layers of the macula become thinner.