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How bad does your visual impairment need to be to be registered as a blind or partially sighted person?

Your eye specialist (a consultant ophthalmologist) will make up one's mind if you can be certified as severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted).

will decide whether you meet the criteria for certification past measuring your:

  • Visual vigil – your central vision, the vision you use to see detail.
  • Visual field – how much you lot can see around the edge of your vision, while looking straight ahead.

Your visual acuity is measured by reading downwardly an eye chart while wearing any glasses or contact lenses that you may need, and then remember to bring them to your appointment. The examination for visual acuity is known every bit a Snellen test. Your field of vision is measured by a "visual field test". There are guidelines almost the level of sight needed to be registered severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted).

After the ophthalmologist has assessed your vision and your optics, they will determine if you are eligible for your sight loss to be certified. The consultant can certify you as either severely sight impaired (blind) or sight dumb (partially sighted) by completing the Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) in England and Wales.

If y'all have a skillful visual acuity, you will usually accept had to have lost a big part of your visual field to be certified as severely sight impaired (bullheaded) or sight impaired (partially sighted)

Alternatively, if y'all have all your visual field, you volition usually have to have a very poor visual vigil to be certified every bit severely sight dumb (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted).

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Generally, to be certified as severely sight dumb (blind), your sight has to fall into one of the following categories, while wearing whatsoever glasses or contact lenses that you may need:

  • Visual acuity of less than iii / threescore with a full visual field.
  • Visual vigil between iii / lx and 6 / 60 with a severe reduction of field of vision, such as tunnel vision.
  • Visual acuity of 6 / threescore or to a higher place simply with a very reduced field of vision, particularly if a lot of sight is missing in the lower part of the field.

To be certified as sight impaired (partially sighted) your sight has to fall into i of the following categories, while wearing whatever glasses or contact lenses that you may need:

  • Visual acuity of 3 / threescore to 6 / sixty with a total field of vision.
  • Visual vigil of up to 6 / 24 with a moderate reduction of field of vision or with a central part of vision that is cloudy or blurry.
  • Visual acuity of 6 / xviii or even better if a large part of your field of vision, for example a whole half of your vision, is missing or a lot of your peripheral vision is missing.

Your ophthalmologist volition carry out these tests on both of your eyes. If you have lost the sight in i of your eyes, your ophthalmologist volition not be able to certify you as sight impaired or severely sight impaired unless you lot have significant sight loss in your other eye. This is because your other eye will largely compensate for the loss of sight in the affected centre.

Your eye specialist might tell you that y'all cannot exist certified at present. This could be for one of three reasons:

  • Yous haven't met the criteria for visual acuity and field of vision.
  • They feel your sight loss isn't permanent.
  • If you are already receiving treatment that could better your sight, they may wish to wait for the outcome of that treatment.

The heart specialist then sends copies of the certificate to you, your GP and your local social services department. You tin so choose if you wish to be registered with your local social services.

Registration tin provide access to services, state benefits and rehabilitation.