This term refers to someone who cannot see at a certain level. Most health care institutions and government agencies agree that if your best eye vision is 20/200 with correction, then you are legally blind. The reason some people use this term is because there are many different types of « blindness. » People mistakenly believe that all blind people see only darkness or literally nothing at all. In fact, blindness may involve seeing colors or light, or having greater visual acuity in some parts of their field of vision, while others are blurred or absent. That being said, more than 1,000,000 Americans are legally blind. Many of them suffer from diseases such as cataracts, diabetes, glaucoma or macular degeneration, which affect their eyes so much that they can no longer see. If you feel that your eyesight – even with a correction – prevents you from driving or working safely, you should consult an ophthalmologist to determine if you are legally blind. If a person has a field of view of only 20 degrees, they can see things that are right in front of them without moving their eyes from side to side, but they can`t see anything to one side or the other (peripheral vision). A 180-degree field of view is considered normal. A severely restricted field of view is sometimes referred to as tunnel vision. It is almost impossible to drive safely. You know: the largest letter on the map (an E on most Snellen cards) equals 20/200 Vision.
If someone cannot distinguish this letter with his prescribed glasses, he is considered blind within the meaning of the law. If you are completely blind, you cannot see any light or shape. Among people with eye diseases, only about 15% can see nothing at all. If you are legally blind, you can still see, but not so clearly. The definition of legal blindness is used as a guideline to enable these individuals to receive government assistance, such as social security disability benefits. Similarly, the Department of Motor Vehicles has established this recipe as the line in which it is no longer safe for you to drive. 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 No eye prescription should be considered « bad ». Different prescriptions refer to different levels of correction needed to restore normal vision.
Third, let`s say your -9.25 eye can see 20/20 with a contact lens, but the -12.50 eye can only see 20/40, even with the best contact lens available. We would say that this last eye has some amblyopia and is therefore not entirely correctable at 20/20, whether with glasses, contact lenses, a lens implant or LASIK. This doesn`t mean you can`t treat such severe myopia, but it does suggest that you should be prepared in advance that one eye is slightly better than the other, even with full refractive correction. Which prescription is legally blind? After reading this article, you may have received the answers. If you have other blind recipe ideas, you can share them in the comments area. If you have problems with glasses or sunglasses, you can contact us via the E-Mail-service@koalaeye.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Your eye doctor will check your vision during a standard eye exam. You measure your eyesight by wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Their vision could fall below 20/200 without them. If it improves when you put on your glasses or contact lenses, you are not considered blind under the law. To test your eyesight, your optician will have you look at a Snellen painting – the familiar mixed-letter board you read from a distance of about 20 feet. If you take this test, you will be considered legally blind if your vision is rated « 20/200 » or less. This means that if an object is about 200 feet away, you need to stand 20 feet away from it to see clearly. In contrast, a person with normal vision (20/20) can clearly see the object from 200 feet away. Your optician may also give you a visual field test to test your field of vision. During this test, you may be considered legally blind if your peripheral vision is about 20° or less. Astigmatism is indicated by prescription as part of cylindrical correction (CYL). If there is no number under CYL, it means that there is no astigmatism, or that it is so small that it does not need correction. Legal blindness is not what most people think.
It is a level of vision defined by the U.S. government.