What is the prevalence of vision impairment among persons under 

age 45?

Nationally, 1.7% of persons under age 45 (3 million) self report a visual impairment, 

defined as 

blindness in one or both eyes or any other reported trouble seeing 

even when wearing glasses or contact lenses

  (Adams, Hendershot, & Marano, 

1999; Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 1996). 

How many children in the U.S. have a vision impairment? 

Based on data from the 1996 National Health Interview Survey, less than 1%  

(0.6%) of persons under the age of 18 are visually impaired, defined as 

blindness 

in one or both eyes, or any other trouble seeing even when wearing glasses

, 

representing 448,000 children and youths (Adams, Hendershot, & Marano, 1999). 

How many people in the U.S. have a severe vision impairment?

An estimated 1.8 million persons age 6 and older (0.7%) have a severe vision 

impairment, defined as an inability to see words and letters in ordinary newspaper 

print, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses (McNeil, 2001). 

Based on data collected from The Lighthouse National Survey, 8.7 million (9%) 

Americans age 45 and older report a severe vision impairment, defined as 

an 

inability to recognize a friend at arm s length even when wearing glasses or 

contact lenses, or cannot read ordinary newspaper print even when wearing 

glasses or contact lenses, or reports poor or very poor vision even when wearing 

glasses or contact lenses, or is blind in both eyes

 (The Lighthouse Inc., 1995)

.

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