I don't understand what 20/70 or 20/200 even means. All I know is that my prescription for my left eye is 6.50 and my right eye is 7.00 and someone told me that means that I'm legally blind. Is that true? And what is the prescription number to be classified as legally blind?
2007-08-09 06:24:13 · 5 answers · asked by Mimblewimble 4 in Health ➔ Optical
I know all of that, I've read wikipedia and I've searched the internet. I just want to know if my prescription means that I'm legally blind.
2007-08-09 07:08:37 · update #1
No--6.50 and 7.00 are rather high numbers, but if your glasses/contacts can correct you so that you can see 20/100 or better, you are not legally blind. Therefore, there isn't a dividing mark in terms of what makes you legally blind or not.
Granted, if glasses didn't exist, you certainly would be legally blind--estimated 2.00-2.50 diopters of nearsightedness (and farsightedness as well, although sometimes they can compensate at distances, so they might have to have a higher prescription than that) is enough to make you see only 20/200. I cannot see 20/200 without my glasses with my -3.25 prescription, and that's still a lot smaller in magnitude than your 6.50 or 7.00.
2007-08-09 09:22:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Legally Blind Prescription Strength
2016-10-04 21:38:04 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
20/70 means that what "normal" eyes can see at 70 feet, you have to be 20 feet away to see it the way they do. I believe it's around 20/150 that you are considered legally blind. Of course that's without corrective lenses. I'm pretty sure by now I'm legally blind without my contacts or glasses.
Your prescription is different. It has a lot more information in it so you can ask your optometrist sometime to explain to you what each number stands for.
2007-08-09 06:27:25 · answer #3 · answered by ixi26c 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Legal blindness is related to two possible vision problems. 1) Visual acuity (clarity of vision) and 2) visual field (how well you can see to the side). BUT, legal blindness is based upon how well your vision is WITH GLASSES OR CONTACTS BEING WORN. So the prescription strength of your eyeglasses or contact lenses is not relevant to whether you are legally blind or not. You could have a prescription of 25.00 or even more and as long as you can see clearly and have good visual field while wearing your glasses or contacts then you would not be classified as legally blind. So to answer your last question, there is NO prescription number that classifies one as being legally blind.
2007-08-09 08:04:32 · answer #4 · answered by yagman 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Heartzablaze is pretty much right.
And, depending on pupil size, 20/200, "one tenth of normal vision", would only need an Rx of about -3.50.
You (and I, at over -10.00 ) would be legally blind IF and only if our vision could not be improved by spectacles, contacts...
The strength of glasses doesnt count at all.
So you are not legally blind unless 6/60 (20/200) is the best you can get. Fumbling around on waking wondering where you put your glasses doesn't count.
As an aside someone can be legally blind with very good vision, even 20/20, if they have extremely restricted visual fields. For example as may be caused with retinitis pigmentosa.
2007-08-09 07:12:47 · answer #5 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In North America and most of Europe, legal blindness is defined as visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 (6/60) or less in the better eye with best correction possible. This means that a legally blind individual would have to stand 20 feet (6 m) from an object to see it with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could from 200 feet (60 m).
2007-08-09 06:28:33 · answer #6 · answered by heartzablaze215 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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Renee...your Dr. never told you that. Ri is right... There is no prescription that makes anyone legally blind. If you are able to see better than 20/200 with them on, then you aren't legally blind. It doesn't matter what your vision is when you don't have your glasses on.
2016-03-28 06:24:06 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before Lasik my prescription was -650.0 in both eyes and yet I was never considered legally blind. Your prescription strength doesn't matter.
2015-08-04 04:43:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The numbers that make up you prescription do not matter.
if any group of numbers, whatever they are, make you see 20/100 or better you are not legally blind.
2007-08-09 07:49:10 · answer #9 · answered by lisa l 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1
2016-06-19 07:57:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋