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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:  Saumya Easaw, M.B.B.S.[2]

## Historical Perspective

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### Legal Blindness

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In 1934, the American Medical Association adopted the following definition of blindness:

"Central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with corrective glasses or central visual acuity of more than 20/200 if there is a visual field defect in which the peripheral field is contracted to such an extent that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees in the better eye."[1]

The United States Congress included this definition as part of the Aid to the Blind program in the Social Security Act passed in 1935[1][2]. In 1972, the Aid to the Blind program and two others combined under Title XVI of the Social Security Act to form the Supplemental Security Income program[3] which currently states:

"An individual shall be considered to be blind for purposes of this title if he has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens. An eye which is accompanied by a limitation in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees shall be considered for purposes of the first sentence of this subsection as having a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less. An individual shall also be considered to be blind for purposes of this title if he is blind as defined under a State plan approved under title X or XVI as in effect for October 1972 and received aid under such plan (on the basis of blindness) for December 1973, so long as he is continuously blind as so defined." [3]

Kuwait is one of many nations that share the same criteria for legal blindness[4].

## References

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1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Koestler, F. A., (1976). The unseen minority: a social history of blindness in the United States. New York: David McKay.
2. ↑ Corn, AL; Spungin, SJ. "Free and Appropriate Public Education and the Personnel Crisis for Students with Visual Impairments and Blindness." Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education. April 2003.
3. ↑ Social Security Act. "Sec. 1614. Meaning of terms." Retrieved Feb 17, 2006.
4. ↑ Al-Merjan JI, Pandova MG, Al-Ghanim M, Al-Wayel A, Al-Mutairi S. "Registered blindness and low vision in Kuwait." Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2005 Aug;12(4):251-7. PMID 16033746.

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