Could You Be "Legally Blind"? 

I thought the glasses would work 😂 Gotta love that illegally blind joke from that collab video with Tommy.

HI, sorry for the hiatus and the last couple video being a minimum effort. I'm getting back into this routine, I miss RU-vid!

you had me in the beginning lmfaooo.

James, really good discussion. I'd only want to add that people should get a second medical opinion whenever possible. My first ophthalmologist wrote me off when it became clear that neither prescriptive lenses, medication nor corrective surgery were going to be an option for me. As a result, I struggled for two years before a second ophthalmologist immediately noticed that my eyes were out of alignment, and got me a pair of prism lenses. My vision isn't any different, but the level of eye strain is dramatically reduced which means that I can benefit from my assistive tech for longer periods of time.

Great points my guy! Just want to add: many people also may not realize that legal blindness regarding the visual field is a thing as well. I have RP and while my visual acuity isn’t legally blind with glasses, my deteriorated visual field meets the definition of legal blindness.

Good stuff James. Glad you broke it down easy enough for most to understand the concept.

I have congenital nystagmus so I can legitimately say I'm partially blind!

I HATE when people with glasses say they're blind without them. It legitimately results in me having to explain over and over to the same people that no, I can't just get glasses, my optic nerve is atrophied and there's no way to fix it.

I believe the WHO defines blindness as 10% visual acuity (which I think equates to 20/200 vision), and/or a field of vision less than 10 degrees, when the individual has their sight corrected as much as possible. I think most countries have the same or a similar definition of legal blindness to that, so I highly doubt there's any countries where someone with fully correctible vision problems would be considered legally blind or visually impaired.

I have had horrible vision my entire life and I found out about a month ago that my vision without glasses is 20/950, which I thought was so crazy, and so ironic I wanted to tell people. Then I looked into legally blindness and by the definition, thought that was what I experienced. However, with the use of glasses, my vision is much better. After watching this, I realized I have been completely wrong, and actually demeaning people who are legally blind by my own misinformation/self-diagnosis. Thank you for the information you have given, and the time you have taken to talk your experience!

I think it’s sad that people don’t understand blindness. I myself have optic nerve hypoplasia, non age related macular degeneration, myopia, cataracts, and nystagmus. I was diagnosed as an infant and coped with 20/200 vision my entire life. It was a good video and I enjoyed the blurry graphics to describe sight.

So informative thank you!! Love your videos! 😊

This is interesting. I have very poor eyesight but it's fully correctable with glasses so I'm technically not blind.

As someone who is visually impaired (im legally monocular) i really appreciate this video. I do have another visual impairment that can make others with my impairment be legally blind. I have cvi (cortical visual impairment) basically my brain doesn’t process what I’m seeing when I’m in or looking at a complex area or image. Although I don’t correctly have a legally blind diagnoses yet in the future there’s a chance I might be. Right now I’m considered to be low vision/visually impaired. My vision may get better or worse in the future. I like how you gave the 20/200 distribution but there is more than one way to be legally blind and its up to your impairment and how you see your environment. I would love to see you do a video on white canes. Right now I use an ID white cane during the a regular white cane at night. Cvi makes it so im vision is worse at night hence the regular white cane. I think it might be useful for others to know the difference between a regular white can and an id cane. I get questions all the time why i dont swing my can back and forth so letting being be more aware would be awesome to see.

Very interesting, and something that I’ve tried to get a good answer regarding. My eyes are 20/400, but can be corrected to 20/40-ish with glasses, and a little worse with contacts. I also have astigmatism that my optometrist described as “off the charts”. (Not a slang terms, but literally higher than his chart could calculate.) Thank you for this clarification. Eyes are weird. 😜 Now off to watch that GoCart vid. You guys are hilarious.

I love the check from Tommy addition in your last video with him

Hello, thank you for your video. I was just diagnosed being legally blind in October 2023. I am having trouble coping with the fact that I am legally blind. Once again, thank you for your video.

Awesome video man! Any advice for filing for disability as legally blind?

Not only 20/200 is considered legalLy blind. I am considered legally blind with a field of vision that is under 20 degrees. I have 20/50 vision in the parts I do have left but it cannot be corrected with glasses, the field is the big thing. Glaucoma both eyes and wet AMD both eyes. The good part is the doctors taking care of my conditions can delay some or most vision deterioration with the 3 eye drops I take twice a day for glaucoma and the eye injections for the Macular degeneration. Cheers👍.

So you have mega nystagmus! Got it! Lol And thank you soooo much for making this. I get those glasses comments all the time, so this video is a great definer for people who don't get it. Thanks so much for sharing!

Hi. I just found your channel about a month or two ago, and in that time have watched several of your videos. My interest in your videos is do to the fact that your visual impairment is caused by albinism. I also have albinism, and although I’m not quite legally blind I do struggle with my sight. I’m not sure whether or not you’ve heard of this, but I have recently discovered that doctors at the National Eye Institute have successfully used a drug called nitisinone to increase pigmentation in the coats of mice that have albinism, darkening their coat color. They are currently trying to figure out if this is something they could give to humans with albinism to possibly increase pigment in their eyes and retina and possibly improve vision.

Hi James I'm Melissa and I'm 20/200 acuity in my right eye, with tunnel vision along with it, and I where glasses but their power is a full 19 and can't sadly increase any more powerful, I'm legally blind too and would get comments of "you're wearing glasses, you're not legally blind" alot. I have ROP (I.E. I was born premature) but survived, my eyes are underdeveloped too, so I feel ya'. I'm also totally blind in my left eye, so I can't use my left eye at all. Also with a right eye only having tunnel vision, I STILL use a cane, even with glasses. Interesting video on this topic, the confusion around Legal Blindness can confuse some. Especially since considering the current situation of the world.

I've very recently gone legally blind in my left eye. Thanks to rapid onset keratoconus. My specialist is hopeful crosslinking my right eye will save my vision enough I'll be ok to still drive ect while waiting for a transplant cornea. Even still very soon I ll need to give up my glasses for hard contacts to also help aid in maintaining my vision.

I was tested recently at work...for vision, hearing and such. I could only read the top, largest numbers on the eye exam... He asked me if I had a driver's license. I told him that I did...he asked how I passed my vision test to pass a driver's license test.... I was only given one at the age of 21. He also informed me that I was color blind? It turns out that my mother is legally blind and also color blind??? Honestly, I don't know what legally blind is.... I know that my sight isn't the greatest but I didn't really realize it was so bad? And I'm super confused about being color blind bc I can see colors.... I guess I'm going to have to go and get a real exam and see if it can be corrected.... Bc I'm no longer allowed to do certain things at work bc of it.

Mine is 20/20 with corrective glasses, but I think without corrective glasses I'm pretty sure I'm around 20/50 or 20/70. What does vision of 20/300 look like? And is that even with corrective glasses? And if so what are you without corrective glasses?

Listening because my Grandpa is blind. He was legally blind for years and now can't see anything.

How do you feel about change because I know in this video you're trying to get across to miss conception of it

You had my ass in the beginning I was like “wow that is amazing “ 🧐🤩

I have -2.5 in my right and -2.25 on my left. Am I legally blind? (I also have 0.9 for reading but its just so that I don't need to take my glasses off to read)

I was legally blind WITH glasses!!!! 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

I have no idea what the numbers of my vision are, but it's probably just considered "low vision" or something. I'm far sighted, and my left eye is a lazy eye, so it mostly just works for perifiral vision, and when using binoculars, I can't see out of both lenses at the same time. Thankfully my right eye works pretty great, especially with glasses. Got my first pair when I was three and been wearing glasses ever since.

My eye condition nystagmus. My left eye is 20/320 and my right is 20/70. I use glasses and cane. My glasses help me but they don’t help me with depth and distance. So that’s why I use a cane.

Do you have esight glasses

Wow, 11/10 opening to the video! 🤣

I don't know if I am legally blind, but I guess not since my sight is not good without my glasses, but without my glasses, I can't see nothing just colors and blurry. So it's hard for me to go swimming and taking a shower.

So i have 20 400in one eye and 20 200 and hace a lazy eye and with prescripción i have oerfectvision

Hi

Well on my glasses do for me they keeping clear of the Sun and even without them I would technically be blind regardless so all Dave are you do is keep the Blair and they help me to see a small bit of the time

Am I considered legally blind if I have 20/200 in one eye and 20/300 in the other but with glasses 20/140 and 20/200?

I never met anyone else that has been legally blind Connell like me my vision is 604 100 IC shaping color fine I can't see far at all but I can ride a bike or golf cart or whatever but I can't drive I would like to meet you one day I've been in arrested in meeting someone kind of like me

Succinctly, legal blindness is determined by level of vision WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE CORRECTION IN PLACE.

I have talked to a guy that said that blind without glasses bit. So uneducated.

I'm legally blind being 12

‘Unlike myself’ lmao

😍😍😍

Isn't he the guy who has a friend who is nearly 100% deaf?

I'm 20/2200

I USE MAXI AID ,COM FOR LEGALLY BLIND VISUALLY IMPAIRED. I WOULD LOVE A ECHO ??? I TOOK WEEKS TO KNOW HOW TO USE MY CANE WITH A O&M. I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO USE MY AMBUTEC CANE.

Coming soon Jasmine Miller design LLC a braille Bible new King James version

Yeah I have 20/400. *laughs in blind* no but I as actually wear contacts or glasses to see but I can see lights essentially. Aside from that I cannot see anything to navigate.