Frequently Asked Questions

Numbers of Blind and Visually Impaired Children

How many legally blind children are there in the United States?

There are approximately 55,200 legally blind children. (For a definition of legally blind, see Key Definitions of Statistical Terms.)

How many visually impaired, blind, and deaf-blind students are served in special education in the United States?

Approximately 93,600 visually impaired or blind students, 10,800 of whom are deaf-blind, are served in the special education program.

For more information see Statistics and Sources for Professionals.

Children’s Use of Braille

How many legally blind children in the United States use braille most often when reading?

Approximately 5,500 legally blind children use braille as their primary reading medium.

For more information see Statistics and Sources for Professionals.

Educational Attainment

How much schooling have blind and visually impaired Americans received?

Approximately 45% of individuals with severe visual impairment or blindness have a high school diploma, compared to 80% among fully sighted individuals. Among high school graduates, those with severe visual impairment or blindness are about as likely to have taken some college courses as those who were sighted, but they are less likely to have graduated.

Does the amount of schooling blind and visually impaired Americans receive vary among different racial and ethnic groups?

Yes. Approximately 62% of visually impaired whites complete high school or higher education, compared to 41% of visually impaired blacks and 44% of visually impaired Hispanics.

For more information see Statistics and Sources for Professionals.