Qualifying for Disability Benefits with Partial Sight

If you have poor or partial eyesight, you might be able to qualify for disability benefits. The qualification depends on eyesight in both eyes, and if you are considered legally blind. You are considered to be legally blind if your vision cannot be corrected to be better than 20/200 in your “better eye.”

Your “better eye” is the eye that is less affected by your visual problems and can see better than the other eye. For one to be considered legally blind, the better eye is considered. Specifically, if the better eye cannot see better than 20/200, even when it is corrected with a corrective lens, then you would be considered legally blind and you could qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

To qualify for disability benefits with partial eyesight:

• Your better eye is considered
• The medical history of your eyes is considered
• The visual capacity of your remaining eyesight is considered

If the capacity of your remaining eyesight hinders you from performing any meaningful activity or any income generating work, then you can qualify for disability benefits provided you are legally blind.

If you are not legally blind, you can still qualify for some benefits, in the form of a medical vocational allowance. To qualify for the allowance, it must be shown that your poor vision has left you with reduced functionality to the extent that you can no longer engage in the work that you used to do and you cannot engage in any other work in order to earn an adequate living.

To qualify for benefits through the Social Security Administration, you will have to provide medical histories to show that you have been suffering from partial sight for more than 2 years or that you are expected to continue to suffer from partial sight for more than 2 years.

In addition, you will have to provide your treatment records to show that treatments have not worked and that your condition indeed hinders you from engaging in any meaningful activity or income-generating work.