FACT SHEETS

Although estimates vary, there are approximately 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the United States.

Approximately 1.3 million Americans are legally blind.

There are approximately 5.5 million elderly individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

There are approximately 55,200 legally blind children.

At least 1.5 million blind and visually impaired Americans use computers.

Currently, approximately 42% of blind and severely visually impaired Americans are married, 33% are widowed, 13% are separated or divorced, and 13% have never married.

Approximately 46% of visually impaired adult Americans are employed. Approximately 32% of legally blind working-age Americans are employed.

A blind eleven-year-old boy took a secret code devised for the military and saw in it the basis for written communication for blind individuals. Louis Braille, newly enrolled at the National Institute of the Blind in Paris, spent nine years developing and refining the system of raised dots that has come to be known by his name.

"Low vision" A degree of vision that is functional but limited enough to interfere with the ability to perform everyday activities and that cannot be corrected with standard eyeglasses or contact lenses.

"Legally blindness" A visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye after correction with conventional lenses, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less in the better eye.