What does legally blind mean, my eye prescription is -4.00?
If eyeglasses or contact lens cannot correct your vision beyond certain standards, you are legally blind.
The standard definition of legal blindness in the U.S. is based on central visual acuity and field of vision.
If you have a central visual acuity of less than 20 degrees, you are legally blind.
Legal blindness can affect your ability to get a driver's license or receive government disability benefits.
When your eye doctor asks you to read the smallest row of letters from across the room, you should look at the U.S. standard for measuring clarity of eyesight.
The eye chart takes a base viewing distance of 20 feet and compares it to the historical norm for most humans.
The smallest letters you can read from 20 feet away match the normal distance.The letters you can read from 20 feet can be seen from 200 feet by people with normal vision.You only see one-tenth of the norm.
Some people can see small letters on an eye chart, but not the person standing next to them.Poor peripheral vision causes them to have legal blind spots.Driving a car or crossing a busy street requires a wide visual field.
If you have a normal field of view that has no blind spots or unusual narrowing of your peripheral vision, you can take a visual field test.
There are two parameters in peripheral vision: side to side and vertical.distant objects remain visible from the right or left of the observer, as the field of view is nearly 180 degrees.
If your peripheral vision is less than 20 degrees, you are considered legally blind.
According to the most recent estimate from the National Eye Institute, about 1 million Americans were legally blind in 2015.
According to the report, over three million Americans had low vision and over eight million had uncorrected vision problems.
By the year 2050, the number of legally blind Americans is expected to double.
A host of conditions can cause a visual disability or legal blind spot.
There are four leading causes of legal blindness in the United States.
There are a number of congenital conditions that can cause legal blindness.
Severe vision loss to the point of legal blindness can be caused by a gradual thinning of the cornea.Is keratoconus a disability?
There are benefits for the legally blind in the Social Security Administration.Federal and state taxing authorities allow tax deductions.It is easier to lead a normal life with vision impairment thanks to multiple non-governmental resources.
If you are blind, you should seek the services of an eye doctor who specializes in low vision.
Low-vision specialists are familiar with the latest vision aids such as magnifications, telescopes and digital devices that can help you make the best use of any vision you still have.
A person with legal blindness can live more independently thanks to these devices.
Poll workers should be able to help people use voting machines at polling places.
Poll workers should be able to help people use voting machines at polling places.
We all have the right to vote.People with disabilities are entitled to an accessible polling place with voting machines.
In some cases, disabled voters had to give up their privacy rights and have someone fill out a paper ballot for them.
If you are blind, you should be able to vote.Make sure the polling place is accessible and has functioning machines if you need one before the election.
You can often find organizations that can take you to and from the polls.They can tell you how far in advance you need to request a mail-in Absentee Ballot.
Speak up if you feel that your voting experience was not fair.Tell the poll workers about your experience.They need to know what happened to prevent future problems.