Blindness and Social Security Disability
Although it often causes hardship to victims and families alike, blindness can be much easier to cope with than it used to be.
Organizations such as the American Council of the Blind (ACB) offer newsletters and plenty of information about how to cope with blindness. The ACB and other organizations provide information on vocational training, Social Security benefits, health and social services, and more.
Being familiar with your surroundings is a key to coping with blindness, whether at home or on the job. Having things conveniently and consistently located can make any job a lot easier, and relatives or co-workers should be aware of the importance of making sure objects of any sort are located in the correct place.
Some people who are blind observe that they’ve never been sharper overall than they are now. They comment that their other senses, to compensate for the loss of sight, seem to intensify. With a positive outlook, these people are able to do most of the things they were able to do with full eyesight. Some say that learning Braille and continuing to read is a great challenge that helps keep their minds razor sharp.
About half of the 15 million Americans suffering from blindness and other visual impairments are under age 65. Many who are blind are active in the workforce. Others would like to work but their disability makes it impossible and causes them to file for Social Security Disability benefits. People who meet general Social Security Disability qualifications and who suffer from “statutory blindness” are eligible to file for SSD benefits relating to their blindness. “Substantial Gainful Activity” (GSA) considerations still apply to blind persons with disability, but the SGA threshold is set at $1690 per month instead of the usual $1010.
If you are considering applying for Social Security Disability Insurance, click here for a free SSDI evaluation. If you’d like more information about Social Security Disability, a qualified MedicareMall agent will be happy to answer your questions. We’ll also be glad to answer any questions you may have about Medicare or Medigap.
Contact MedicareMall now and we’ll make it our priority to help you make the best-informed decisions possible when it comes to your health or disability.