What is the legal definition of blindness?
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.
How do you prove legal blindness?
Translation: If you wear your glasses or contacts (or both) and then are measured on an eye chart as seeing 20/200 or less, or if the width of vision for both your eyes totals an arc of 20 degrees or less, you are legally blind according to this federal definition.
Is legal blindness a diagnosis?
Most people have heard the term “legally blind” at some point, but many don’t understand what this oft-used nomenclature actually means. Legally blind is not a diagnosis from an eye doctor — it relates to the government, and deems whether an individual is qualified for disability benefits.
How much do you get for being legally blind?
If you’re receiving Social Security disability benefits and you’re blind, you can earn as much as $2,190 a month in 2021. This is higher than the earnings limit of $1,310 a month that applies to disabled workers who aren’t blind. The earnings limits usually change each year.
What is legally blind vs blind?
Legally blind means a person has a corrected vision of 20/200 in their best-seeing eye. If visual aids such as glasses can correct a person’s vision to 20/20, they are not considered legally blind. Totally blind refers to a complete loss of sight.
What is the federal definition of legal blindness?
Meaning of blindness as defined in the law. Statutory blindness is defined in the law as central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of correcting lens.
Can you drive if legally blind?
An individual can be completely blind in one eye and not have great sight in the other eye, and still be able to drive. A bioptic driver candidate must be seen by a specialized doctor, and go through many visual assessments, including visual field tests. The training and tests don’t stop there.
What causes legal blindness?
Legal blindness can have many causes. Some people are born with visual disabilities, making them legally blind from birth. However, the majority of legal blindness cases are caused by age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma.
Is legally blind a disability?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers “legal” or “statutory” blindness as a qualified disability. Legally blind individuals include people who have been blind since birth in addition to those that have experienced severe vision loss due to conditions.
Can a legally blind person work?
People who are blind or visually impaired are employed in as many diverse jobs as those who are sighted in the workforce. Individuals with vision loss can perform jobs across all industries, including marketing, human services, business management and administration, health science, law, agriculture, and more.
Can legal blindness be corrected?
Treatments vary depending on the cause of the blindness or visual impairment. However, in some cases — such as with retinal degeneration disorders — there is currently no cure.
What is “legal blindness”?
What Is Legal Blindness? “Legal blindness” is a definition used by the United States government to determine eligibility for vocational training, rehabilitation, schooling, disability benefits, low vision devices, and tax exemption programs.
What is the legal definition of an allegation?
Allegation. The assertion, claim, declaration, or statement of a party to an action, setting out what he or she expects to prove. If the allegations in a plaintiff’s complaint are insufficient to establish that the person’s legal rights have been violated, the defendant can make a motion to the court to dismiss the complaint for failure…
What is the new criteria for being legally blind?
Under the new criteria, if a person’s visual acuity is measured with one of the newer charts, and they cannot read any of the letters on the 20/100 line, they will qualify as legally blind, based on a visual acuity of 20/200 or less.
What is the definition of blindness under the Social Security Act?
federal definition [10] of “blindness” in the Supplemental Security Incomeprogram under Title XVI of the Social Security Act currently states: (2) “An individual shall be considered to be blind for purposes of this title if he has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens.