Statistics

This section features links to sites with statistics on blindness and visual impairment, by age, race, geography, prevalence, employment, education, and more.

Blind Adults in America: Their Lives and Challenges, National Research Center for  Women and Families
Covers a wide range of issues, including demographics, work, daily activities, regional differences and policy issues.

Statistical Snapshots, American Foundation for the Blind
General statistics related to blindness and visual impairment, including population estimates, mobility, children's use of braille, computer use, marital status, employment and educational attainment.

Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness Among Adults 40 Years and Older in the United States, National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health
Statistics about and causes of visual impairment and blindness among adults (age 40+) in the United States, including economic costs of visual disorders and disabilities.

Americans with Disabilities: 2002, U.S. Bureau of the Census
Based on data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP); includes information on visual impairment.

Disability Status: 2000, U.S. Bureau of the Census
Disability statistics drawn from the 2000 Census. Unfortunately, visual and hearing impairments are lumped together and not differentiated.

Disability and American Families: 2000, U.S. Bureau of the Census
Census data on the impact of disability on families. Unfortunately, visual and hearing impairments are lumped together and not differentiated.

Disability Status Report and Disability Statistics, Employment and Disability Institute of Cornell University
Demographic and economic statistics; includes prevalence, employment, earnings, poverty, household income, and housing, with break-outs by age, race, gender, and educational attainment. Choose U.S. or state reports, or search the database. Unfortunately, visual and hearing impairments are lumped together and not differentiated.

Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Central Register
Prevalence of legal blindness in Massachusetts by municipality and region.

Statistics: Organizations and Resources to Explore

The Disability Statistics Center, University of California, San Francisco
This site provides a good overview of the sources and limitations of statistics on disability, with links to U.S. and international information.