Decreased vision leads to detrimental, life-altering complications, which often include loss of employment and increased difficulty carrying out everyday activities. If vision loss has negatively impacted your life, you may qualify for Social Security disability payments. There are two ways to file.
If you have severe vision loss in both eyes and your vision in the better eye is worse than 20/200, you will qualify for benefits under 2.02 of the SSA disability guidelines. Additionally, if your better eye has a level of peripheral field vision less than 20 degrees, you may qualify for benefits under section 2.03.
If your vision loss does not fit one of these qualifications there is a second option to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In such a situation, you must be able to prove to the state-run Disability Determination Services (DDS) that the vision loss affects you ability to work or function in several critical areas of daily living. In general, the easiest way to prove this is in situations when you have other compounding health problems.
In many cases, the first step toward successfully pursuing a claim for SSDI or SSI is contacting a qualified attorney or advocate specializing in Social Security Disability. Working closely with legal and medical professionals can help you to build a strong Social Security case and can drastically improve your chances of quickly and efficiently receiving the benefits that you deserve.
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