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Legal blindness
Legal blindness (20/200 in the us, 6/60 per the who) is defined as a) 20/200 or less visual acuity in the better-seeing eye with best correction, b) a visual field of 10 degrees diameter or less in its greatest meridian, or c) a combination of visual acuity and visual field loss equivalent to a or b. Anyone who says "you are legally blind without your glasses" is coercing you to have lasik surgery.
Dr. Daniel Schainholz reviewed this
36 year experience in Ophthalmology
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Related questions
A 46-year old asked:
What diopter is legally blind?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A 42-year old asked:
What is legal blindness?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A 31-year old asked:
Is there any upsides to legal blindness?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 32-year old asked:
What prescription is considered legally blind?
3 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in
A 44-year old asked:
Can someone who is legally blind get a transplant?
4 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in
A 28-year old male asked:
What is the definition or description of: legal blindness?
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A 32-year old asked:
How strong a prescription does someone have if legally blind?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 21-year old female asked:
My contact prescription is -12.5 can that be considered legally blind?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
A 47-year old asked:
What is the maximum contacts prescription before considered legally blind?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 42-year old asked:
What is classified as "legally blind"?
3 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
A 34-year old asked:
What is considered legally blind in the state of connecticut?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A 45-year old asked:
Is being blind in one eye considered being legally blind?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 32-year old asked:
What is the difference between legally blind and blind?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 37-year old asked:
How bad does your vision have to be to be considered legally blind?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 33-year old male asked:
Hi, I was interested in changing careers to medicine, but I'm legally blind. Is a medical career still an option?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 46-year old female asked:
My eyesight is -10.25 in both eyes. how bad is this? is this legally blind
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A 31-year old asked:
Can a person who is legally blind in one eye still drive?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 47-year old asked:
Are there any side effects or risks to treatment of legal blindness?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
A 31-year old asked:
What can an 83 year old woman with dementia and macular degeneration (legally blind) do and remain safe?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
A 27-year old male asked:
My glasses prescription is the following: sphere (-10.0), cylinder (-2.0), axis (176). For tax purposes, i need to know if this characterizes someone as legally blind. Not sure if this is 20/200?
4 doctor answers • 11 doctors weighed in
A 78-year old female asked:
I have AMD in both eyes. Left is 20/250. right eye is 20/40. Am I conidered legally blind in both eyes?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A 39-year old asked:
Is 20/400 in both eyes better or worse than 20/200? I am trying to determine if I am considered legally blind using the following definition "if your vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye, or if your visual field is 20 degree
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A member asked:
When is a complete cornea transplant necessary? I got hit in my left eye with a baseball a few years ago. Ever since, my vision in that eye has been increasingly blurry. It's safe to say that I am legally blind in that left eye. I've been told a complete
3 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
A 17-year old male asked:
My contact perscription from eye doctor was a -2.00 in both eyes. Is that strong? When is someone considered legally blind?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
A 58-year old female asked:
30 percent optic nerve damage in one eye, other eye normal. 58 years old. Even with treatment, how long before i'm visually impaired or legally blind?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
A 30-year old female asked:
30yo w/ no eye DMG & prescription for vision is right; but have blurry, hazy vision, cannot focus eyes without concentration. Can i be considered legally blind?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 40-year old asked:
What is the rate of occurrence of color blindness in the u.S.?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
A 38-year old female asked:
How can I get blind ?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 40-year old asked:
Could blind people have visual dreams?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 35-year old asked:
Are there support groups for blind vets?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
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