Vision loss is one of the most feared disabilities in America. Many people would rather suffer the loss of a limb than lose their eyesight. Although vision loss and blindness are not as common as many people think, the effects are devastating for the victims and their families and caregivers. The economic impact of blindness in both direct cost and lost productivity is significant.
Most serious vision loss is due to disease. Diabetes is the number one cause of preventable vision loss and blindness in America. Accidents leading to traumatic brain injury are another significant cause.
How Is Blindness Defined?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines blindness as best vision acuity corrected to 20/200 or worse. Most individuals with blindness have some visual ability. Serious vision loss is best corrected visual acuity corrected to 20/40 or worse.
The Social Security Administration requires applicants to have 20/200 in their “better” eye before benefits can be collected. In other words, individuals could have serious visual impairments and still be considered “sighted” for purposes of eligibility for SSA benefits. State disability requirements may differ, depending on the state.
The CDC definition does not include those with poor night vision, color blindness, or field impairment, such as individuals with peripheral vision impingement.
Who Suffers From Blindness?
In 2017, a CDC study found that approximately 6 million Americans have some degree of serious vision impairment, and 1 million were blind. Although the majority of those individuals suffering from serious vision loss and blindness are over the age of 75, approximately 2 million are between the ages of 18 and 65.
The study also found that:
- More than half a million individuals with serious vision impairment are below the age of 17.
- Females are twice as likely as males to suffer permanent vision loss.
- Blacks and Hispanics have a greater risk of permanent vision loss than white individuals.
- Some 350,000 individuals with permanent vision loss are living in group settings, including nursing homes and prisons.
What Are the Costs of Blindness?
The actual costs of blindness are difficult to assess because estimates do not include additional expenses of traumatic brain injuries and rehabilitation for those individuals. However, blindness and vision loss cost an average of $16,838 per individual afflicted, based on the total estimated costs collected by the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research.
The effects on employers and the job market are substantial. A report in Ophthalmology found that the economic burden of blindness and vision loss was:
- $53.5 billion in medical costs
- $41.8 billion in nursing home costs
- $16.2 billion in reduction in labor force
- $19.3 billion in indirect labor costs, absenteeism, lost production, etc.
The total economic impact in the 2017 study was estimated at $134.2 billion.
Why This Matters
According to Vision Atlas, globally people with vision loss experience a 30% drop in employment and income. Note that nearly one-third of individuals with vision loss and blindness in America are between the ages of 18 and 65. That is peak employment age in the United States. It can be inferred that the $16.2 billion labor force reduction rests on those individuals unable to work or who need additional accommodations in their workplace due to vision loss.
Other Effects of Vision Loss
Beyond the effects of vision loss on those who lose their eyesight, there is the impact they have on the rest of us. A study reported by the American Academy of Ophthalmology found that even moderate vision loss leads to an increase in auto accidents.
A review of more than 29 years of statistical data in Australia found that of more than 4,000 older drivers involved in accidents, over half had some type of visual field loss. That is, although they could pass a motor vehicle visual acuity test and see straight in front of them, they lacked peripheral vision.
The study found that:
- Field loss in both eyes raised the risk by 84%.
- Moderate loss in the left eye increased the risk substantially.
- Central vision loss was not associated with increased risk.
Surprisingly, the drivers’ inability to see clearly in front of them did not increase the risk as much as their inability to see clearly to the left. The study did not correlate this with a prevalence of auto accidents such as left turns and pedestrian strikes, but the inference is clear. Vision loss has a profound cost not only to the workforce but also to victims of vehicle accidents.
Work-Related Eye Injuries
The CDC estimates that as many as 2,000 eye-related injuries are caused by workplace accidents each year. Although the costs of eye injuries may be covered by workers’ compensation, the long-term effects may not be. A worker with vision impairment due to eye loss may not be able to return to the same job as before. Costs of rehabilitation and retraining are part of that multibillion-dollar impact shown in the Ophthalmology report.
Costs of workplace injury prevention are negligible compared with the costs of treating and rehabilitating an eye injury. Proper eye protection, careful use and storage of chemicals, and caution around machinery can reduce or eliminate the risk of damage to the eyes.
Unfortunately, too many employers allow a workplace culture of carelessness to become the norm. In the rush to make a profit, employers may overlook requiring safety goggles or masks. Reports to the Occupational and Safety and Health Administration are also neglected. Part of the economic cost to the labor force is embedded in increased workers’ compensation premiums and denied claims because of carelessness and negligence.
When You Need Legal Advice
Blindness and vision loss have many causes, such as misdiagnosed or untreated illness, poor work conditions, or accidents caused by other vision-impaired drivers. If your vision loss is due to any cause and is not being treated correctly, seek legal advice to learn if you have grounds for a lawsuit or other legal action.
