After the 55th anniversary, special regulations apply. If your income proves that you became an LMS, but your work requires a lower level of skills and abilities than you did before age 55 or when you became blind, whichever is later, we will suspend your benefits and not terminate your benefits. Your entitlement to SSDI benefits is indefinite, and we will pay your benefits for each month of income that falls under the SGA. Being legally blind affects your eyesight, but that doesn`t have to stop you from living a fulfilling life. If you have a Snellen rating above 20/70, with and without contact lenses or glasses, you have relatively good vision and are not legally blind or even legally visually impaired. If you are blind, you can use some or all of the deductions from earnings that apply to the SGA decision. If you learn that you are legally blind, organizations like the American Foundation for the Blind can help. They have programs to help you cope with the physical and emotional effects of vision loss. Lol Under SSDI, this condition must have lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months. There is no duration for blindness under ISS.
But what does it mean to have poor eyesight? Is it just that your vision is blurry or unclear? Legally, it must be caused by eye disease and reduce your visual acuity to at least 20/70. This means that to see what most people can see from 70 feet away, you need to be as close as 20 feet. In other words, you can hardly read the 3rd row from the top of Snellen`s eyeboard (or the chart you read at the ophthalmologist with all the letters). Basically, if it`s at least 20/70, can`t be corrected — even with touches, glasses, or surgery — and interferes with your daily activities, it can legally be considered a “visual impairment.” If you have any questions about your own visual acuity, or if it`s been a long time since you`ve seen an ophthalmologist to determine your vision, contact us. We are happy to assess your vision with a series of painless tests and discuss your concerns. You can talk to the doctor about how you see now and the options available to help you get your best vision possible! “Legally blind” is the definition of blindness used by the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine whether a person is eligible for disability benefits, tax exemptions, and training for the visually impaired. A common test for visual acuity is Snellen`s eye chart. Someone who is legally blind could simply read the top row of the chart, a capital E, while wearing corrective lenses. The line under the capital E is the line for 20/100. There are also tests that can measure between 20/200 and 20/100. Someone who can`t see the line for 20/100 but sees somewhere between 20/100 and 20/200 would still meet the government`s standard of legal blindness, which is why they are listed as “20/200 or less.” The Iowa Department for the Blind also serves people who are functionally blind. A person is functionally blind when they have to use so many alternative techniques to perform tasks that are normally performed with vision that their daily lifestyle is significantly altered.
These alternative techniques could include reading a newspaper while listening to the phone or using Braille to read a book. What does it mean to be legally blind? The definition of legal blindness was developed as a guideline to help people receive government support, such as Social Security disability benefits. The Department of Motor Vehicles also uses the definition to measure visibility and protect our roads from drivers who have difficulty seeing. Steinkuller P. Legal Vision Requirements for Drivers in the United States. WADA Journal of Ethics. 2010;12(12):938-940. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2010.12.12.hlaw1-1012.
Another way of looking at it: if someone with 20/20 vision is standing next to a legally blind person, the legally blind person should approach up to 20 feet to see an object from 200 feet away, as well as the person with normal vision. The reason some people use this term is because there are many different types of “blindness.” People mistakenly believe that all blind people see only darkness or literally nothing at all. In fact, blindness may involve seeing colors or light, or having greater visual acuity in some parts of their field of vision, while others are blurred or absent. We have all heard the term “legally blind,” but what does that really mean? How is it different from complete blindness and who is considered legally blind? Employment benefits are usually special schemes to help you return to work or work for the first time. Congress has included language in the law to facilitate the work of blind people. These special rules only apply to blind people. The government uses the term “statutory blindness” to decide who can receive certain benefits, such as disability or vocational training.
