Legally Blind- What Does It Mean?

The most widely accepted definition of legally blind in the United States is vision of 20/200 or less in the best eye using glasses or other type of correction. Glasses have not been helpful to my husband, however, and his vision has continued to deteriorate over the past twenty years.

Thank goodness he has a great attitude! He cannot drive a car or read a book or the newspaper anymore, but we do continue to enjoy life! He uses 4x6 index cards to keep track of customers and friends and writes with 20-20 pens . His desk is filled with stacks of cards - golf buddies, Optimist Club Golf Tournament players, business contacts. I have seen him make as many as 100 telephone calls in a day. He uses a regular desk style touch-tone telephone.

Our children learned very important coping lessons from their dad. They were young when he was first diagnosed and they watched as gradually his vision decreased. He has not actually seen our daughter since she was 12 years old, but two years ago, he proudly walked her down the aisle when she married -- and they danced the Father-Daughter dance at the reception with skill and joy.

You are welcome to discover more about Whitey's sense of humor at Legally Blind Blunders, a Squidoo lens about his funniest experiences. You can also read about his golf experiences at Legally Blind Golfer.