MIDDLE AGE AND OLDER ADULTS

The following estimates are based on findings from The Lighthouse National Survey 

on Vision Loss (The Lighthouse Inc., 1995).  Vision impairment is defined as follows, 

based on self reports: 

N 

Inability to recognize a friend across the room, even when wearing glasses  

or contact lenses;  OR 

N 

Inability to read regular newspaper print, even when wearing glasses or  

contact lenses; OR 

N

Self rated vision as poor or very poor even when wearing glasses or contact 

lenses; OR 

N

Report of some other trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact  

lenses; OR 

N

Blindness in one or both eyes. 

One in six Americans (17%) age 45 years of age or older, representing 16.5 

million middle age and older adults, report some form of vision impairment even 

when wearing glasses or contact lenses.   

The prevalence of vision impairment increases with age as indicated in the 

following estimates: 

15% of Americans age 45 64 years report some form of vision impairment, 

representing 9.3 million persons. 

17% of Americans age 65 74 years and older report some form of vision 

impairment, representing 3.1 million persons.  

26% of Americans age 75 years and older report some form of vision  impairment, 

representing 4.3 million persons. 

Among persons age 65 and older, an estimated 21% report some form of vision 

impairment, representing 7.3 million persons.  

[Note percentages have been applied to Census 2000 population estimates to  

arrive at the number of persons reporting vision problems.] 

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