What Is Considered Legally Blind In South Carolina

Webmd medical reference reviewed by brian s.
What is considered legally blind in south carolina. Also the visual field is limited to less than 20 degrees. A restricted field of vision of 20 degrees or less in the better or stronger eye. If you have resided in south carolina for a full calendar year and you are 65 years or older legally blind or permanently and totally disabled you are eligible for a homestead exemption of 50 000 from the value of your home for tax purposes. Even with the use of the best vision correction methods a legally blind individual would need to stand 20 feet away from an object to see it with the same clarity as someone with normal vision can see at 200 feet away.
That means your vision is not correctable to at least 20 200 in your best eye or you have a visual field of 20 degrees or less. The definition of legally blind entails that a person has a vision that is 20 200 in a person s best eye with correction. If you are considered legally blind there are federal and state benefits you are entitled to receive. 2 an individual shall be considered to be blind for purposes of this title if he has central.
Guardianship gives someone else legal authority to make personal decisions on another s behalf while conservatorship gives. In the united states the definition for legally blind was adopted in 1934 as set forth by the american medical association. If you are unsure if you are legally blind nyscb can assist you in determining eligibility. This is also the definition of being legally blind.
Boxer wachler md on november 07 2019 sources. For an applicant to qualify for social security disability benefits for a visual impairment he or she must be considered legally blind and meet one of the two following requirements from the blue book. Legal blindness is defined as. A visual acuity of 20 200 or less in the better or stronger eye with best correction or.
You might qualify for state benefits even if you re ineligible for federal benefits. Legal incapacity incompetence and estate planning. The application for exemption must be made to the auditor in the county where the dwelling is located. Federal definition 10 of blindness in the supplemental security incomeprogram under title xvi of the social security act currently states.
How do we define who s legally blind. Legally blind means you re essentially sightless in the eyes of the law if eyeglasses or contact lenses cannot correct your vision beyond specific standards. To qualify for federal benefits as a blind individual you must be legally blind. Being legally blind affects your vision but it doesn t have to stop you from leading a fulfilling life.
In the u s the standard definition of legal blindness is based on central visual acuity what s in front of you and field of vision what s above below and to the sides.