Eye Health Vision Loss Print Criteria for Being Legally Blind By Troy Bedinghaus, OD linkedin Troy L. Bedinghaus, OD, board-certified optometric physician, owns Lakewood Family Eye Care in Florida. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association. Learn about our editorial process Troy Bedinghaus, OD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD on June 16, 2016 facebook linkedin Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. He is Verywell's Senior Medical Advisor. Learn about our Medical Review Board Richard N. Fogoros, MD Updated on November 12, 2019 altrendo images / Getty Images More in Eye Health Vision Loss Glaucoma Cataracts Macular Degeneration Dry Eye Syndrome More Eye Issues & Safety Contact Lenses Glasses Exams & Procedures Vision Improvement Surgery Eye Anatomy Kid's Eye Health View All You've probably met someone who claimed to be legally blind or at least has heard or read the term somewhere. Although it may seem a little strange to label a health condition "legal," legally blind actually does refer to a definition of blindness recognized by government agencies and health insurers to determine if someone is eligible for certain benefits. Departments of Motor Vehicles, which need a way of measuring how well potential drivers can see in order to keep our roads and highways safe, also use this definition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3.3 million people over age 40 are legally blind or have low vision. The main causes of blindness are related to age and include macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Unlike those who are totally blind, meaning they can't see anything at all out of either eye, most people who truly are legally blind have some vision, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. The Official Definition To be considered legally blind, you would have to meet one of two criteria for visual acuity and visual field. Legally Blind Criteria You would meet one of these criteria:Visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the eye you can see out of best (with the best correction)Visual field of no more than 20 degrees Visual Acuity Visual acuity refers to how close a person needs to be to an object that's 20 feet away in order to see it in detail. Normal vision is measured as 20/20. If you had visual acuity of 20/80, it would mean that you would be able to see details from 20 feet away from the same as a person with 20/20, or normal, vision could see from 80 feet away. A legally blind person with 20/200 vision (with the best corrective lenses) would need to be 20 feet from an object in order to see it as well as someone with 20/20 vision could see it from 200 feet away. Another way to look at it: If someone with 20/20 vision was standing next to a person who's legally blind, in order for the legally blind person to see an object that's 200 feet away as well as the person with the normal vision he would have to get as close as 20 feet to it. If you go for an eye test, you would only be able to read the top line, the big E, while wearing your corrective lenses. Visual Acuity Testing Visual Field If a person has a visual field of only 20 degrees, he can see things that are right in front of him without moving his eyes from side to side but he can't see anything on either side. By contrast, a visual field of 180 degrees is considered normal. A severely limited visual field sometimes is called tunnel vision. It makes it nearly impossible to drive safely. Taking a Visual Field Test Living With Blindness Losing the ability to see can be scary, but it doesn't have to limit your ability to live your life. There are many resources and products for people who are legally blind—from canes and talking calculators to spill-proof cups and special computer software. Even Amazon sells items that are designed for the legally blind. Certainly losing your vision will take a lot of getting used to, but it shouldn't stop you from doing almost everything you did when you could see. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Lee SY. Blindness. StatPearls [Internet]. Published June 30, 2019. Common Eye Disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published September 29, 2015. Katibeh M, Pakravan M, Yaseri M, Pakbin M, Soleimanizad R. Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness in Central Iran; The Yazd Eye Study. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2015;10(3):279–285. doi:10.4103/2008-322X.170362 Blindness Statistics. National Federation of the Blind. Published January 2019. Striem-Amit E, Guendelman M, Amedi A. 'Visual' acuity of the congenitally blind using visual-to-auditory sensory substitution. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33136. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033136 National Research Council (US) Committee on Disability Determination for Individuals with Visual Impairments. Tests of Visual Functions. Visual Impairments: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits. Published 2002. Spector RH. Visual Fields. Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition. Published January 1, 1990. Valenzuela T, Mosier J, Sakles J. Tunnel vision. JEMS. 2013;38(1):32-4, 36-7. PMID: 23627232 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Public Health Approaches to Reduce Vision Impairment and Promote Eye Health. Meeting the Challenge of Vision Loss in the United States: Improving Diagnosis, Rehabilitation, and Accessibility. Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow. Published September 15, 2016. Additional Reading Steinkuller P. Legal Vision Requirements for Drivers in the United States. AMA Journal of Ethics. 2010;12(12):938-940. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.12.hlaw1-1012.