Shining Light on Blindness

I grew up in a small area known as Greene County Illinois. Nearby in Jacksonville Illinois was both a blind school as well as a school for the deaf. I feel blessed to have grown up in such a community as I was introduced at an early age to individuals with disabilities. One of my uncles worked at the school and would share many stories full of pride about students who attended the school. So I am happy to share this post bring awareness to the world of the Blind

I say world as their community is one inside of ours. It belongs together alone as well as it belongs in our world as well. October was established to bring awareness to the realities of living without sight during World Blindness Awareness Month. It is estimated that nearly 285 million individuals suffer from blindness or a visual impairment world wide. Out of that large number more than 4 million live in the United States where more than 47,000 individuals lose their sight each year. That is like 1 person every minute. Sadly about 80% of these cases could be avoided through prevention and / or treatment. A yearly eye exam is one important step to prevent impairments in the eye. Eye exams are done by eye care professionals.

Some Interesting Facts about Blindness :

• To be "legally blind" one must have a central visual acuity of 20 / 200 or less in the good eye with corrections or the visual field is 20 degrees or less
• In 2014 there were 60,393 legally blind children in school in the United States
• Their were 7,327,800 ages 16 and up to report having a visual disability
• California has the largest number of individuals with visual impairment as citizens
• about 24% of those with visual impairment did not graduate from high school with 40.2% being employed

The numbers showed in the stats shared with the public indicate that individuals with visual disabilities are living lives as closely related to those with out visual problems as possible. Helping to bring awareness to the fact that while a disability may change their world it does not have to change the entire world 

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