Blog #40
Blind?? At what point are people restricted because of their vision?
Blindness becomes defined by legal requirements and definitions of vision. What does it mean when a person says that are legally blind? What requirements must a person meet to have a driver’s license? What are visual requirements for certain jobs or careers?
The underlying assumption to all this, is that our vision is vital to living in this world. When we have an eye condition, like macular degeneration, it can lead to having impaired vision, and can ultimately lead to being classified as “disabled”. This is strictly a legal definition as the Canadian government provides help for people with disabilities. A person is legally blind when their vision is 20/200 or worse for both eyes, or their field of vision is 20 degrees or less (a healthy eye has 170), and the person must have had these restrictions for at least 12 months. A person who is legally blind is eligible for tax credits and even benefits.
A very common concern particularly amongst older patients is meeting MTO vision requirements. In order to have a “G” license a driver must have 20/50 vision in both eyes and a continuous field of vision of 120 degrees. This can be with corrective eyewear.
Finally, there are occupations and careers that have stringent visual requirements, such as airline pilots, air traffic controllers, firefighters, police officers, surgeons, quality control for the atomic energy industry, armed forces personnel, or web designers. Each industry has it its own standards for varying jurisdictions and it is best to contact the recruitment agency in question to find out their specific requirements. For example, if you want to apply to the R.C.M.P., get on their web site and check out their requirements, then get to your optometrist to make sure that you can meet them before you do anything else.
Get a regular eye exam to prevent vision reduction and to ensure that you can meet the requirements of whatever field that you are interested in. Do it early on in the game, so that if you need help, like Lasik, you can arrange for that beforehand.
Til next week,
The Good Doctor, Dr. Mark Germain, Burlington Optometrist
