Learning About Blindness

What is Blindness or Low Vision?

Visually Impaired:  A person is considered visually impaired when, with best correction, he or she has difficulty reading a newspaper, is unable to see objects with peripheral vision, among many other indicators.

Legally blind: This is defined as no better than 20/200 corrected vision in the better eye, or a visual field not extending beyond 20 degrees in the better eye, or a visual efficiency of no more than 20 percent. The "legal" refers to a determination of the person's eligibility for government benefits resulting from his or her visual impairment.

Blindness: A wide array of conditions ranging from a limited ability to see objects with special aids to the absence of light perception. Most people who are blind have some light perception.

1. How Do I Interact with a Blind Person?Introduce yourself by name and make eye contact when speaking.
2. Speak in your usual conversational voice.
3. When a blind person enters the room, identify yourself.
4. Indicate the end of a conversation, and let a blind person know when you are walking away.
5. Feel free to use vision-oriented words such as "see", "look", and "watch."
6. Be specific when giving directions.
7. Don't grab the arm of a person who is blind or visually impaired: offer yours instead.
8. Don't interfere with a blind or visually impaired person's cane, and don't pet or feed dog guides
9. When in doubt, just ask.

As with a person with any disability, the best approach is to interact with the person, not with his or her disability. In general, what you would do or say with a sighted person is appropriate for a person with a visual impairment. However, to be most courteous, here are some hints.