Being blind can present a number of challenges for a Houston resident. Even if a person has some ability to see, legal blindness can make it very hard for a person to perform even basic job-related tasks. This is so even though employers are supposed to accommodate for workers with low vision.
Texans who are legally blind can obtain both Social Security Disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income. In the eyes of the Social Security Administration, a person is legally blind if, even with corrective lenses or other treatment, a person’s vision is not better than 20/200.
Likewise, if a person’s peripheral vision in his or her best eye is less than 20 degrees and will remain so for at least 12 months, then he or she is legally blind.
However, a Houston resident who has limited vision but who does not qualify as legally blind can still apply for disability so long as he or she can prove that, alone or in combination with other conditions, the impairment prevents him or her from working.
As our blog has discussed before, people can obtain Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, without having to have accumulated work-related credits that entitle them to payments. On the other hand, a person will have to show that he or she is of limited income and assets.
The good news is that those who qualify for disability can earn slightly over $2,000 a month and still qualify for benefits.
Those who are legally blind and who are struggling to support themselves may wish to explore their legal options by speaking with an experienced Social Security attorney.