Blindness and vision impairment 

Blindness and low vision are conditions involving a significant impairment of a person’s eyesight. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines these conditions based on how well you can see, i.e. your visual acuity. A person is considered blind if their visual acuity in their better eye is below 1/20 even with corrective lenses; they are considered visually impaired if their visual acuity is between 3/10 and 1/20. 


There are many possible causes of blindness or low vision, including eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa. Visual rehabilitation and the use of specific aids can improve the quality of life of those affected.


In Italy, Law No. 138 of 2001 sets out the criteria for officially recognising if a person is blind or has low vision, in order to determine eligibility for benefits and other support measures. It distinguishes between:

total blindness
a condition of severe visual impairment in both eyes, where a person may only perceive shadows, light, or, in some cases vague shapes and movements in both eyes or in the better-seeing eye
partial blindness
often termed low vision or partial sight, is a significant visual impairment generally defined as having a visual acuity (with or without correction) of no more than 1/20 in both eyes or in the better-seeing eye
visual impairment
a condition that can be classified as severe (1/10), moderate (2/10) or mild (3/10)
More information can be found in the Puglia INPS guide.
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