Blindness Statistics

If you or a loved one are visually impaired, finding out more about blindness statistics can assist you to become more knowledgeable and educated. The AFB or American Foundation for the Blind is a leading organization who advocates for the blind and helps to educate the public about this condition. According to the AFB, there are slightly more than 21 million U.S. residents dealing with loss of vision. In this definition, vision loss is anything from being nearsighted and wearing glasses to being completely blind. This approximation refers only to those over the age of 18 and the source of the data is the National Center for Health Statistics.

Senior citizens are a large part of the population who are experiencing vision loss, whether mild, moderate or severe. There are an estimated 6.2 million adults age 65 and older who have some form of this condition. When it comes to the legally blind, there are approximately 1.3 adult residents of the U.S. who meet this designation. There are less legally blind children than there are adults. Out of the children who are legally blind, around 5,600 of them use Braille as their method of reading. This is only about ten percent of the legally blind child population as others may not need Braille depending on their age and level of vision loss.

Another statistic you may wonder about is how many of the blind use assistance animals like guide dogs to get around. It is estimated by the AFB that more than 7,000 U.S. residents use a dog guide. Every year, more than 1500 people complete a training program for guide dog users. These dogs are also trained, even more thoroughly than their handlers. A seeing eye dog is trained from a very young age to do their job and must undergo rigorous training and education before being certified as a guide dog for the blind.

To learn more blindness statistics, visit the website of the AFB or see your eye doctor. He or she can help you understand more about your condition or the condition of your loved one. Losing one's vision in any degree is never an easy thing to deal with. Even adjusting to new glasses or contact lenses can be a daunting prospect. Losing one's vision completely is a life changing event. Therefore, in addition to consulting with your eye doctor and the AFB, you may also want seek counseling if you are dealing with emotional issues due to blindness.

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