HOW CAN YOU BE BLIND IF YOU CAN SEE?

By Jayne Malkin

Courtesy of the Association For The Visually Impaired

People sometimes double the truthfulness of individuals who say that they are legally blind. “He’s as blind as I am.” Or “He sees what he wants to see.” These are statements that reflect a lack of understanding of what it means to be legally blind.

The term “legal blindness” means that a person has such poor vision that they are unable to accomplish certain activities or tasks. The technical definition is 20/200 acuity in the better eye, with correction, or a 20 degree field or less. The actual amount and type of vision that a legally blind person has varies widely from person to person. Also, there are many conditions that affect someone’s vision, such as weather, lighting, and medicine.

People who have had strokes or who have Retinitis Pigmentosa usually have a good central vision but no side vision. They can often read print (sometimes with special glasses) but everything else is blurry. It is possible that this person could recognize the face of their bus driver but need a white cane to walk safely. Those with Macular Degeneration cannot see what is directly in front of them but can make good use of their side vision. It is possible for this person to spot a piece of bright lint on the carpet but be unable to see food on the plate in front of them.

It is impossible to judge how well a person can see by looking at their eyes. Most legally blind people have eyes that appear normal. Many wear glasses to improve their residual vision or they continue wearing glasses out of habit. Most, but not all, wear sunglasses to reduce the discomfort caused by glare.

Now that you know what the term legally blind means, share this information with other people. They will learn not to make inaccurate and possibly hurtful comments about their legally blind friend, relative, or neighbor.