How Is A Person Considered “Legally Blind”?

How is a person considered “legally blind”? That’s actually an interesting question, especially for those who think that they might be legally blind.

A person is considered legally blind when this person has a level of sight deprivation that helps him or her qualify for disability benefits. Such is the case here in the Philippines, where people considered as legally blind as given benefits for the disabled.

This level of eyesight deficiency is 20/200 vision in one or both eyes, or worse, even with the help of corrective lenses.

To break this down in depth, a person is legally blind if he or she must stand only 20 feet away for an object to see it clearly. This same object can be seen by a normally sighted individual at 200 feet away.

The good news is that people who are legally blind are not completely locked out of life. Many states allow a legally blind person to drive, under certain, specific circumstances. Many times a legally blind individual will still be able to enjoy reading a book or even watching television, with specific accommodations.

People can either be born legally blind or develop this impairment over time. Some of the causes of legal blindness include cataracts, diabetes, and glaucoma. Depending on the cause of the impairment, legal blindness may be reversed, especially in the case of cataracts.

Depending on the severity of the case and condition, LASIK may still possibly be an option for a legally blind person.

If you feel like you might be legally blind and is looking for the best possible treatment, we can take a good look at your eyes to be able to provide you an accurate diagnosis and solution.

Schedule an eye checkup with our doctors. Let’s see what we can do. Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517.