Huntington, WV Social Security Disability Lawyer: Helping the Blind

Having a loved one lose eyesight is definitely an arduous ordeal; it’s hard enough that they can no longer see all the world’s splendor, but their condition also prohibits them to do work, not to mention all those visits to the doctors, medications, and other costs that come along with visual impairment.

To help people who have lost their eyesight, the Social Security Administration allows them to become beneficiaries of federal disability benefits given that they meet certain qualifications. If your loved one is either completely blind or beginning to lose eyesight, seeking the services of a Huntington, WV social security disability lawyer can help you in filing a disability claim.

Definition and Qualifications

To qualify for disability benefits, your loved one must first meet the requirements laid out by the Social Security Administration for visual impairment. The agency defines blindness as an eye condition that causes either a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best correction, or a limitation in the field of vision in the better eye, making the widest diameter of the visual field subtend to an angle of 20 degrees or less. According to the Social Security Administration, your loved one can still qualify for disability benefits even though he hasn’t been able to meet this definition of blindness provided that their vision problems (either alone or coupled with other health issues) hinder them from working.

Generally, eligibility for disability claims due to vision impairment will be determined by the remaining visual acuity, the level of peripheral field contraction, and the loss of visual efficiency in the better eye. For instance, under listing 2.02, which has something to do with central visual acuity, the condition must be 20/200 or worse, even though it has undergone corrective procedures.

What You Need to Bring

Once your loved one meets the requirements for disability benefits eligibility, you’ll need to help him file a claim either in person or online. In submitting a claim in person, remember to bring past and present medical records, which must include all diagnoses, previous hospitalizations, results of physical and mental exams, and a statement from their physicians detailing the limitations imposed by the condition

Finally, you’ll need a social security disability attorney—like those working with Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law—who can help you and your loved one with visual impairments in the process of filing for disability benefits. Going through the entire process can be difficult, but you have a better chance of getting approved with the help of a lawyer.

Sources:

Social Security Disability or SSI for Vision Loss or Blindness: An Overview, Disability Secrets

If You’re Blind Or Have Low Vision – How We Can Help, Social Security Administration