What visual acuity or field restriction defines legal blindness in the United States?
20/200 or less visual acuity or 20 degrees or less visual field.
The definition of legal blindness in the United States is established as a functional standard used by governments and organizations to classify individuals for services and benefits. This classification is met if a person's visual acuity in their better eye, even when optimally corrected with lenses, is 20/200 or worse. Alternatively, an individual can meet the standard if their visual field is significantly constricted, specifically restricted to 20 degrees or less. To illustrate the severity of 20/200, it means that the person must be 20 feet away to see clearly what someone with normal vision can see at 200 feet. This threshold signifies a very significant impairment where distance vision is extremely limited, even with corrective aids.
