INTRODUCTION

Statistics on vision impairment are available from a number of sources and/or 

agencies, depending upon the information needed.  The purpose for developing this 

document was to pull together commonly requested statistics so the reader can easily 

find answers to many frequently asked questions about vision impairment.   

In obtaining the statistics included in this manual, the most recent and clearly defined 

statistics were used whenever possible.  Users should note that estimates may vary 

depending upon the definitions used, specific age groups included and the method of 

data collection employed.  Therefore, while this document attempts to use consistent 

statistics regarding definitions and populations to which the estimates apply, this is not 

always possible (e.g., some data is based on only persons age 45 and over, while 

different sources need to be used for younger age groups).   

The statistics included in this manual were gathered from a variety of different sources 

and should be cited accordingly using the reference list provided.  When available, the 

actual source and date of the information is also included in addition to the publication 

information. 

i