CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS

Visual 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). 

Severe Visual Impairment 

Based on data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (1997), 

264,000 children 6 14 years of age have difficulty seeing words and letters in 

ordinary newsprint even when wearing glasses or contact lenses.   Of those, 

45,000 have a severe vision impairment (unable to see words and letters in 

ordinary newspaper print), and 219,000 have a non severe vision impairment 

(McNeil, 2001). 

Legal Blindness 

In 1990, data on legal blindness indicated that approximately 2,600 children under 

5 years of age and approximately 51,000 between the ages of  5 19 were legally 

blind (Chiang, Bassi, &  Javitt, 1992). 

Causes of Blindness Among Children 

Among children under 5 years of age, prenatal cataract is the leading cause of 

legal blindness, accounting for 16% of all cases.  This is followed by optic nerve 

atrophy (12% of all cases) and retinopathy of prematurity (9% of all cases) 

(National Society to Prevent Blindness, 1980). 

Blindness occurs mainly among children with birth weights below 1,000 grams (2 

lbs, 3 oz) at rates of 5% to 6% (

Hack, Klein, & Taylor, 1995

). 

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is the leading cause of blindness among 

premature infants in developed, and rapidly developing, countries (World Health 

Organization, 1997a). 

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