Persons who suffer from some degree of visual impairment are much more likely to be unemployed compared to those who do not have any vision loss.
A new study placed vision loss into three categories:
- Normal vision
- Uncorrected refractive errors
- Visual impairment
Persons who were completely blind, or could not see any light with both eyes open, were not included in the study.
The researchers found that persons who reported visual impairments had the lowest rates of employment. For both males and females, persons with visual impairment reported a 58.7% employment rate in the case of males and a 24.5% employment rate in the case of females. The employment rate was highest when persons had normal vision. In this case, the rate was 76.2% in the case of males and 62.9% in the case of females.
Persons who suffer from visual impairment or who are blind or have reduced vision may be eligible for Social Security disability. You do not have to meet the legal definition of blindness in order to be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. If your vision impairment on its own or combined with some other health problems prevents you from going out and earning a living, you may be eligible for benefits.
There are other special rules that apply to persons who are visually impaired and want to file a claim for disability benefits. The monthly earnings limit is much higher for blind people. In 2014, that monthly earnings limit is $1,800.
If you suffer from the kind of visual impairment that prevents you from going out and earning a living, speak to Houston attorney M. Stanley Whitehead about your rights to Social Security disability benefits.
