# I am legally blind. What an insult to the truly blind. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-legally-blind-what-an-insult-to-the-truly-blind/292715 "2005-03-03T04:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-legally-blind-what-an-insult-to-the-truly-blind/292715/1 "2005-03-03T04:50:19Z")
I got a routine eye exam today, and at the end, being the curious type that I am, asked exactly how bad my eyes are in simple terms. I’m about 20/800 without glasses. 20/200 is the threshold for “legal blindness.” My current lenses are, at best, 20/40 or so. So that means I’m legally blind, and by quite a margin. But it’s such a simple correction to make me legal (run of the mill glasses, if maybe a little thick, that will put me at 20/15), that it really seems insulting to people who have problems that cannot be so easily corrected. I have no color perception or light sensitivity problems, I have great peripheral vision. I can wear contacts if I so desire (granted, they are astigmatism contacts). It’s scary to think that I could presumably exploit disability benefits if I were immorally inclined, when there are people out there with far more genuine need. ---
**Author:** ![Venoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Venoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venoma)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-legally-blind-what-an-insult-to-the-truly-blind/292715/2 "2005-03-03T05:01:18Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > I got a routine eye exam today, and at the end, being the curious type that I am, asked exactly how bad my eyes are in simple terms. I’m about 20/800 without glasses. 20/200 is the threshold for “legal blindness.” My current lenses are, at best, 20/40 or so. Legally blind is actually 20/200 with the strongest possible correction - therefore, you are only legally blind if glasses/contacts/surgery can correct you to no better than that point. Here’s your cite: [http://www.icbvi.state.id.us/DEFBLIND.HTM](http://www.icbvi.state.id.us/DEFBLIND.HTM) ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-legally-blind-what-an-insult-to-the-truly-blind/292715/3 "2005-03-03T05:09:09Z")
> [@Venoma](#): > > Legally blind is actually 20/200 with the strongest possible correction - therefore, you are only legally blind if glasses/contacts/surgery can correct you to no better than that point. > > Here’s your cite: [http://www.icbvi.state.id.us/DEFBLIND.HTM](http://www.icbvi.state.id.us/DEFBLIND.HTM) Yeah, I realize this now upon further research. I’m legally blind for a few days if my glasses break. But I’m just a :wally otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Venoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Venoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venoma)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-legally-blind-what-an-insult-to-the-truly-blind/292715/4 "2005-03-03T05:11:08Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > Yeah, I realize this now upon further research. I’m legally blind for a few days if my glasses break. But I’m just a :wally otherwise. That’s ok, thought the same of myself once - only 20/250 w/o correction 🙂 That’s the thing about having messed up eyes - you miss stuff. At least… that’s what I’ll tell the judge. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-legally-blind-what-an-insult-to-the-truly-blind/292715/5 "2005-03-03T06:22:20Z")
the _best_ thing about it is … You can take a shower in the dark. I even shave my legs. You know the whole way around your house in the dark. 😛 This is a plus when you’re chasing toddlers around at 3 a.m. Or burglars. You can eat or drink in the dark. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 8 . . hmm, that’s almost 40 years. I’m legally blind also. I guess you can tell I’m very comfortable with it.