PREVALENCE OF VISION IMPAIRMENT: 

NATIONAL ESTIMATES

ALL AGES

Self Reported Visual Impairment & Low Vision 

Based on data from the 1996 National Health Interview Survey, some degree of vision 

impairment, defined as 

blindness in one or both eyes or any other reported trouble 

seeing

, affects 8.3 million (3.1%) Americans of all ages. (Adams, Hendershot, & Marano, 

1999). 

Approximately 3% of individuals age 6 and older, representing 7.9 million people, have 

difficulty seeing words and letters in  ordinary newspaper print even when wearing 

glasses or contact lenses

. This number increases to 12% among persons age 65 and 

older (3.9 million) (McNeil, 2001).    

It is estimated that there are more than 3 million people with low vision (National Advisory 

Eye Council, 1998). 

About 12 million people have some degree of visual impairment that cannot be corrected 

by glasses (National Advisory Eye Council, 1998). 

Severe Vision Impairment

An estimated 1.8 million individuals age 6 and older  (0.7%) are 

unable to see words and 

letters in ordinary print even when wearing glasses or contact lenses

 (McNeil, 2001). 

Legal Blindness 

Data collected from the National Health Interview Survey on Disability (1994 95) indicate 

that approximately 1.3 million persons reported legal blindness (0.5%) (cited in American 

Foundation for the Blind, 2001).

Light Perception or Less 

An estimated 20% of legally blind individuals have 

light perception or less

 representing 

an estimated 260,000 individuals (American Foundation for the Blind, 2001).  

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