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What is Legally Blind?

Answer

What is considered legally blind varies as improvements are made to corrective lenses. That is, legally blind is the point where a person's vision can no longer be made near-perfect with corrective lenses. Currently, the highest prescription lenses reach to approximately 13.0 for near-sightedness. If a person wears 12.5 lenses, he or she is not legally blind because glasses or contacts will give this person near-perfect vision. However, if degenerative myopia or another ailment causes his or her eyes to require 13.5 lenses, he or she would be considered legally blind. Bear in mind that the person with 13.5 eyes can still wear 13.0 lenses, meaning that he or she will see well enough to get around without needing assistance. But the legal definition of blindness will keep a person with 13.5 vision from driving.