What is Legal Blindness?

Legal blindness is a federally recognized disability that has been set forth by the government to recognize individuals with severe vision loss in both eyes. 

Definition of Legal Blindness

From the federal government, there are certain qualifications that an individual must meet and have an eye doctor to attest that they meet the criteria. There are two ways to qualify for legal blindness: by best corrected vision and by reduced visual field.
 

Legal Blindness by Best Vision

If the legal blindness is determined by best corrected vision, then the individual cannot have 20/100 or better vision in either eye with the best correction in place. This means that if vision is improved with glasses, contact lenses, or other means, that the legal blindness classification has not been met. For instance, a patient who is nearsighted may have 20/200 vision without glasses but if the glasses can improve the vision to 20/20 the patient is not considered to have legal blindness. A common misconception is that there is a classification as “legally blind without glasses.” This category does not exist as a federally recognized term. If an individual is legally blind based on their best corrected vision, an eye doctor has to document the reduced vision.
 

Legal Blindness by Reduced Visual Field

Another way that the term legally blind can be applied is based on the size of the visual field. A person’s visual field is the entire area which the person can see while looking straight ahead at a single point. If the overall visual field is less than twenty degrees of visual field, then the person can be said to be legally blind. To be classified as legally blind due to visual field reduction, an eye doctor must document the size and extent of the visual field.
 

Benefits of Legal Blindness Classification

Many individuals who would potentially qualify for legal blindness status never choose to pursue the official classification. While this is completely acceptable, there are several benefits of pursuing the complete and official classification of legal blindness. Among these benefits are disability recognition, special services, and access to insurance if not already insured. 
 

Programs for Legally Blind Individuals

In every state, there are several programs set up for individuals with reduced vision and legal blindness. These programs can include assistance with job training, access to audio or braille materials, or other additional services which can be accessed after appropriate documentation and classification as legally blind. Special training programs for orientation and mobility are available for training with a white cane, a seeing eye dog, or overall mobility access to improve daily activities. 
 

Disability Qualification from Legal Blindness

Legal blindness may also allow disability qualifications that enable a patient to access additional services. These disability resources may include handicap parking access, income assistance, or employment assistance. For children who are eligible for disability status due to legal blindness status, an additional benefit is access to an IEP, or individualized education plan, through the school or college. 

Our eye doctor at The Optical Centre in Longmont, CO excels in prescription of glasses, contact lenses and the diagnosis of a variety of eye diseases. Call our optometrist at 303-772-6650 or schedule an eye exam appointment online if you would like to learn more about legal blindness. Our eye doctor, Dr. Erica Whitmire provides the highest quality optometry services and eye exams in Longmont, Colorado and its surrounding areas.