![]() ![]() The list of causes for legal blindness is extremely long. In fact, most people who meet the definition of legally blind have partial vision. Not all people who qualify as legally blind have no vision at all. Not all blurry or decreased vision is due to glasses or contact lenses. ![]() What’s considered legally blind is when you cannot see better than 20/200 on a vision chart even with your glasses or contact lenses. Therefore someone who says they have “legal blindness” without their glasses really doesn’t know what is considered legally blind. Physical function is often also reduced in people who are considered legally blind. Hearing impairment is often associated with genetic or inherited disorders that cause legal blindness or visual impairment. Many people who are visually impaired may have other associated physical disorders due to the same cause of their legal blindness. Having a severe visual impairment can slow reading times and makes transportation and mobility more difficult. There are many other difficulties that people who are visually impaired may have. It’s a wonderful use of our public funds to help people who may not be able to help themselves as well as they would like. LEGALLY BLIND VISION FULLIt is a huge help to people who may not be able to afford the therapy, training, and devices to allow them to live a full and productive life. The benefits can be things like low vision therapy, low vision aids, seeing eye dogs, canes, braille training, etc., to allow them to function well in spite of their visual impairment. It qualifies people who are visually impaired to have benefits from the government to help them function. Legal blindness is not a medical definition but a legal definition. The definition of legally blind vision is when someone has 20/200 or worse vision on a standard vision chart in their better eye, or when they have less than 20° of peripheral vision on a visual field test. This is not the actual definition of legal blindness. Many times I’ve heard patients say that they or someone they know was “legally blind“ without their glasses. This is an important question that has consequences affecting how we as a society and the government help people who have difficulties due to visual impairment from myriad causes. ![]()
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