Acuity Legal Definition

When determining legal blindness, the field of vision (the part of vision that allows them to see what is happening on their side) is also taken into account. A field of view of 20 degrees or less is considered legally blind. Ophthalmologists can help diagnose right blindness. Sharpness is almost synonymous with at least one sense of sensitivity, but as is often the case with closely related words, there are subtle differences to watch out for before replacing one of these words with the other. Sharpness refers to a form of sensitivity, but is most often applied to the senses of perception (as in “visual acuity” or “auditory acuity”). It is also commonly used in relation to the intellect (as in “mental sharpness”). Sensitivity has a wider range of meanings than sharpness, including “the ability to be easily hurt.” It can be used by inanimate objects such as radios (“the sensitivity of the instruments has been carefully calibrated”), a context in which sharpness is unusual. Central visual acuity 20/200 or less in the best eye with the best correction or the widest diameter of the visual field that undermines an angle not exceeding 20 degrees. (Social Security Administration) Like the term “legal blindness,” “visual impairment” is not a functional definition that tells us a lot about what a person can and cannot see. It is more of a classification system than a definition. Not all ophthalmologists agree with an exclusively numerical description (or visual acuity) of visual impairment.

Here`s another – more functional – definition of visual impairment: Part 1 of the United States The definition of legal blindness says this about visual acuity: Here`s a definition of visual impairment that refers to visual acuity: Legal blindness occurs when a person has a central visual acuity (vision that allows a person to see straight ahead) of 20/200 or less in their best eye with correction. With a visual acuity of 20/200, a person at 20 feet can see what a person with 20/20 vision sees at 200 feet. Visual acuity is a number that indicates the sharpness or clarity of vision. A 20/70 visual acuity measurement means that a person with 20/70 vision who is 20 feet away from a vision board sees what a person with intact vision (or 20/20) can see from 70 feet away. Similar to low vision, there are many different definitions of visual impairment. “Visual impairment” is a general term that describes a wide range of visual functions, from visual impairment to complete blindness. “Central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the best eye with corrective lenses or visual acuity of more than 20/200 when the visual field is built up to 20 degrees or less, and chronic physiological hearing loss so severe that most speech cannot be understood through the ear with optimal amplification. A speech discrimination score of 40% or less would generally indicate such a hearing loss. “If you can read line 8 (D E F P O T E C) 20 feet away while wearing your normal glasses or contact lenses, the doctor will record your vision (or visual acuity) as 20/20 with the best correction. We will consider you blind for a period of disability and for the payment of disability insurance benefits if we determine that you are legally blind. Legal blindness is defined in law as a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the best eye using the corrective lens.

An eye that has a limitation of the field of view so that the widest diameter of the visual field falls below an angle not exceeding 20 degrees is considered to have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less. Your blindness must meet the permanent requirement of § 404.1509. We do not take into account certain criminal and prison deficiencies, as explained in § 404.1506. Low vision corresponds to a visual acuity of less than 6/18 (0.3), but equal to or greater than 3/60 in the best eye with the best correction. (ICD-10 codes 1 and 2) “Legal blindness” is a definition used by the U.S. government to determine eligibility for vocational training, rehabilitation, schooling, disability benefits, visual aids, and tax exemption programs. This is not a functional definition of low vision and does not tell us much at all about what a person can and cannot see. In the United States, the Snellen Eye Chart (left image) is a test that ophthalmologists and optometrists use to measure the visual acuity of a person`s distance.

It contains lines of letters, numbers, or symbols printed in standardized graduated sizes. For more information on the definitions of legal blindness, you can read Assessment of Disability under Social Security, a publication of the Social Security Administration. Blindness is defined as visual acuity of less than 3/60 (0.05) or corresponding loss of visual field in the best eye with the best possible correction. (ICD-10 codes 3, 4 and 5) Note: An actual Snellen vision board is much larger than the one shown here; Therefore, it is not recommended to use this chart to test your own visual acuity (or the visual acuity of a friend or family member). This is a 20/200 visual acuity measure, correlated with Snellen`s vision chart (image above): visual acuity better than 20/200, but less than 20/70 in the best eye with the best correction. Note that in most states, 20/70 is required to obtain a driver`s license unless the person is referred to a bioptic driving program for special training. (Administration of Rehabilitation Services) Most surveys and studies show that the majority of people in the United States with vision loss are adults who are not completely blind; Instead, they have what`s called low vision. You may have heard the terms “partial vision” or “partial blindness” or even “poor vision,” which are also used to describe low vision. However, these descriptions are no longer commonly used. If you found this information useful, please consider supporting our work for just $10 per month. A living room seen through a narrowed field of view. Source: Making life more livable.

Use with permission. “People with significant vision and hearing loss, so the combination of the two causes extreme difficulties in pursuing educational, professional, professional or social goals.” The Iowa Department for the Blind also serves people who are functionally blind.