Blindness & Visual Impairment Support Group

Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or psychological factors. This is the group to discuss living with blindness, sharing experiences, and for those that may be facing the prospect of a life without sight. Find support and answers among people who know what you're going through.

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Ears, Eyes & Mouth
/ Blindness & Visual Impairment Support Group

blind, legally blind

1needhope
1needhope
Reading through posts here, I read someone referring to themself as totally blind,legally blind. If you are totally blind you are also legally blind, but there is a huge difference between the two. Legally blind is a measurement of best corrected vision. Totally blind, is in my understanding, no vision. Is that wrong? The difference is huge when speaking of things like grocery shopping or to use a cane or not.
FREEDOMFREE
FREEDOMFREE
LEGALLY BLIND , IS A LAW TO DISAGREE ,

WHY VOTING ON LINE , SHOULD BE FREE ,

EXPECIALLY FOR THE BLIND YES A SIGN , FROM FREEDOM YA SEE ,

HISTORY IS DEFINED , AS HIS STORY ,

KINDA LIKE THE LAW OR RYHME , TO BE HAPPY ,

IN FACT BLIND IS JUST BLIND , 50 % BLIND WOULD BE ,

THE SAME WHEN TIME , USES THE A FLY OR FLEA .
deleted_user
deleted_user
You are correct in your understanding of the various stages of blindness. Total blindness is no vision at all. however Legally blind as defined by law is 20/200 or greater. Which means what sighted people see at 200 feet away we start to see it at 20 feet away or less in some cases. I personally prefer to use my cane But I don't always if someone is able to help me. I hope this helps.
deleted_user
deleted_user
From my understanding, you are classified legally blind if your better eye is 20/200 and your visual field in the good eye is 20%. Totally blind is total darkness.
deleted_user
deleted_user
You are also considered to be legally blind if your peripheral vision is 20 degrees or less. That's the case with me. My uncorrected vision (straight ahead) is something like 20/25, but the peripheral vision is down to about 10 degrees right now. Based on that vision loss, I was able to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
deleted_user
deleted_user
You are correct there is a huge difference between legally blind and totally blind as legally blind people have very usuable vision. I think they don't appreciate what they have. For us totally blind people everything is much harder.