SSDI Lawyers for Blindness

Our SSDI lawyers for blindness help people get and keep their disability benefits. You may deserve disability pay for blindness, vision loss or low vision. See how we can help today with your free consultation.

We are Pekas Smith: Arizona Disability Attorneys, serving clients statewide as SSDI lawyers for blindness. Alone, it may be difficult to get the benefits that you deserve, but our lawyers can guide you through the process.

Call or message us now, to discuss your situation and get legal help today.

SSDI for Blindness – You May Qualify!

Blindness is grounds for disability benefits. If you are blind or have low vision, you may receive SSDI payments. You may qualify based on central vision acuity, visual field limitation or other visual impairment that prevents you from working.

Disability Benefits for Blindness

• You may receive disability benefits for blindness.
• Total blindness isn’t required – low vision or partial blindness may qualify for benefits.
• There are special rules for disability based on blindness that don’t apply to other disabilities.
• The standard for what counts as substantial gainful activity is higher for blind workers than other workers, making it easier for you to qualify for benefits.
• If you were able to work while blind, your lower earnings may be excluded from a calculation of benefits in a disability freeze.
• SSDI for blindness does not depend on your assets. It is based on your medical condition and ability to work.
• Our Arizona disability lawyers can represent you to claim your benefits.

In general, you qualify for disability if you have an impairment that prevents you from working and qualifying for work credits. The impairment must last or be expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death.

How do you get SSDI benefits for blindness?

To get SSDI disability benefits for blindness, you must apply. You must show that you have qualifying blindness or a combination of vision loss and other impairments, that prevent you from working. You must show that the condition has lasted 12 months or more or that it is expected to last that long or result in death. In addition, you must have qualifying work credits.

You must present medical evidence to verify your medical condition.

SSDI Blue Book for Blindness

Social Security evaluates disability for blindness under SSD Blue Book Section 2.00 – Special Senses and Speech. Subsection 2.02 defines loss of central visual acuity. Subsection 2.03 defines visual field diameter. If you meet either definition, you have statutory blindness.

You may qualify for disability by equaling either of these definitions or by medically equaling other standards of visual impairment. If you qualify by equaling other standards, you are not considered statutorily blind.

What evidence do you need to present for SSDI benefits for blindness?

The evidence you need to present for SSDI benefits for blindness depends on the basis you use to qualify. For statutory blindness, you must present medical evidence of either statutory criteria.

In that case, you don’t need to present evidence of the cause of blindness.

For other visual disorders, you must present an eye examination confirming best-corrected central visual acuity to vision fields. You must document the cause of the loss. If a standard eye examination doesn’t explain the cause of vision loss, you must present additional information.

What percent of vision loss qualifies for disability?

Vision loss qualifies for disability if the person’s vision can’t be corrected to 20/200 in the better eye. Alternatively, a vision field lower than 20 degrees that is expected to last one year or more qualifies as low vision for disability.

Note: Even if you don’t qualify based on blindness or low eyesight alone, you may qualify if a combination of impairments keeps you from working.

What type of disability is blindness?

Blindness is severe or complete vision impairment. Types of eye problems that may qualify for disability are:

• Cataracts: Cloudiness, fogginess or loss of transparency on the eye lens
• Glaucoma: Damage to the optic nerve and retinal nerve, causing slow loss of vision
• Diabetic retinopathy: Damage to the retina because of type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• Lazy eye: Where the brain doesn’t fully process information from one eye
• Congenital blindness: Blindness from birth
• Retinitis pigmentosa: Genetic disease that may impair peripheral vision
• Retinal damage and diseases: Including retinal detachment and macular hole
• Choroideremia: May cause progressive vision loss, mostly affecting males

How does the Social Security Act define blindness?

426 U.S.C. § 416(i)(1) defines blindness as central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye. Eyesight is measured using corrective lenses. Alternatively, an eye limited to a visual field of 20 degrees or less is also blindness. 42 U.S.C. § 1382c(a)(1) of the Social Security Act contains a similar definition.

How much disability does a blind person get?

A disabled blind person may receive up to $3,822 in disability payments per year, based on work history. You may also qualify to receive SSI benefits.

How much income can a blind person get and still qualify for SSDI?

In 2024, a blind person can earn up to $2,590 per month and still receive SSDI benefits. For other people, the earnings limit is only $1,550 per month. These limits usually change each year.

How is SSDI different for a blind person than for other people?

• Blindness is statutorily defined. It is treated differently than other disabilities for SSDI.
• The amount of income you can earn and qualify for benefits is higher because you are blind.
• Using the freeze method, you may ask that lower earning years, because of your blindness, be excluded from calculations of your benefit amount.
• If you’re over 55, the rules are different for determining your ability to work. If you earn more than $2,590, your benefits are suspended if your work uses a lower skill level than you used before. You can receive benefits on a month-to-month basis if your income falls too low.

Note: You may elect to receive notices from the Social Security Administration in print, in braille, on an audio CD or in large print by first-class mail.

Do you qualify for disability if you are blind in one eye?

Usually, blindness is evaluated based on the better eye, so it is difficult to qualify for disability if you are blind in one eye. However, you may qualify based on a combination of impairments.

Lawyers for Disability for Blindness

Our SSDI lawyers for blindness can assist you with:

• Evaluating your impairment and how to qualify for benefits based on blindness
• Gathering medical evidence to make your application complete
• Knowing the special disability rules based on blindness and how they affect your situation
• Understanding how work may impact your benefits
• Giving you legal guidance and answering your questions
• Completing your application
• Avoiding mistakes that can delay or deny your benefits
• Responding to requests for more information
• Taking steps to make the application process efficient
• Representing you at a hearing and appeals, if necessary

We are an experienced team of professionals who can fully represent you in seeking or maintaining SSDI benefits for blindness. Contact us now for your free consultation and to start your case.

SSDI Benefits for the Blind – Get Legal Help

Pekas Smith: Arizona Disability Attorneys are legal advocates for SSDI benefits for the blind.

Contact our SSDI lawyers for blindness today at 602.962.2818 or use our online form.