What is the percentage of children with vision impairment who have additional needs?

**Updated September 2020**

In this section you will find statistical information specific to children and youth. This is a new feature and we will be adding to it and updating it from time to time.

Please be advised that estimates of the number of children and youth experiencing vision loss differ based on the various definitions of vision loss used, as well as on the dates the data were collected, populations surveyed, and other features of data sources.

AFB urges investigators to pay attention to the detailed background information provided along with each estimate.

Student population data

Data from the American Printing House for the Blind

• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014

Child population by gender

Data from the American Community Survey

• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014

Child Population (2019 ACS Data)

According to the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 547,083 children with vision difficulty in the U.S. According to the 2019 ACS, there were 276,322 males and 270,761 females with vision difficulty under the age of 18 in the U.S.

Definition and scope: The children referred to range in age from 0-17 years and only included those children that had serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses as well as those that are blind.

Data source: 2019 American Community Survey. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/
Read our brief resource guide to the ACS.

Student Population (2018 APH Data)

According to the 2019 Annual Report from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), based upon data from January of 2018, there were approximately 55,249 U.S. children, youth, and adult students in educational settings who were legally blind.

Definition and scope: The students referred to ranged in age from 0-21 years as well as certain qualifying adult students and only included those students with vision loss that functioned at/met the legal definition of blindness. Legal blindness is a level of vision loss that has been defined by law to determine eligibility for benefits. It refers to explicitly to those who have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

Data source: 2019 Annual Report: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. http://www.aph.org/annual-reports. The American Printing House for the Blind maintains an annual register of legally blind persons in educational settings below the college level.
Read our brief resource guide to APH data.

Child Population (2018 ACS Data)

According to the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 559,943 children with vision difficulty in the U.S. According to the 2018 ACS, there were 284,759 males and 275,184 females with vision difficulty under the age of 18 in the U.S.

Definition and scope: The children referred to ranged in age from 0-17 years and only included those children that had serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses as well as those that are blind.

Data source: 2018 American Community Survey. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/
Read our brief resource guide to the ACS.

Student Population (2017 APH Data)

According to the 2018 Annual Report from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), based upon data from January of 2017, there were approximately 63,501 U.S. children, youth, and adult students in educational settings who were legally blind.

Definition and scope: The students referred to ranged in age from 0-21 years as well as certain qualifying adult students and only include those students with vision loss that functioned at/met the legal definition of blindness. Legal blindness is a level of vision loss that has been defined by law to determine eligibility for benefits. It refers to explicitly to those who have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

Data source: 2018 Annual Report: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. http://www.aph.org/annual-reports. The American Printing House for the Blind maintains an annual register of legally blind persons in educational settings below the college level.
Read our brief resource guide to APH data.

Child Population (2017 ACS Data)

According to the 2017 American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 568, 202 children with vision difficulty in the U.S. According to the 2015 ACS, there were 286,038 males and 282,164 females with vision difficulty under the age of 18 in the U.S.

Definition and scope: The children referred to ranged in age from 0-17 years and only included those children that have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses as well as those that are blind.

Data source: 2017 American Community Survey. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/
Read our brief resource guide to the ACS.

Student Population (2016 APH Data)

According to the FY 2017 Annual Report from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), based upon data from January of 2016, there were approximately 63,657 U.S. children, youth, and adult students in educational settings who were legally blind.

Definition and scope: The students referred to ranged in age from 0-21 years as well as certain qualifying adult students and only included those students with vision loss that were legally blind. Legal blindness is a level of vision loss that has been defined by law to determine eligibility for benefits. It refers to explicitly to those who have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

Data source: 2017 Annual Report: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. http://www.aph.org/annual-reports. The American Printing House for the Blind maintains an annual register of legally blind persons in educational settings below the college level.
Read our brief resource guide to APH data.

Child Population (2016 ACS Data)

According to the 2016 American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 502,191 children with vision difficulty in the U.S. According to the 2015 ACS, there were 231,921 and 270,270 females males with vision difficulty under the age of 18 in the U.S.

Definition and scope: The children referred to range in age from 0-17 years and only included those children that had serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses as well as those that were blind.

Data source: 2016 American Community Survey. http://www.census.gov/acs/www/
Read our brief resource guide to the ACS.

Student Population (2015 APH Data)

According to the 2016 Annual Report from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), based upon data from January of 2015, there were approximately 62,492 U.S. children, youth, and adult students in educational settings who were legally blind.

Definition and scope: The students referred to ranged in age from 0-21 years as well as certain qualifying adult students and only included those students with vision loss that were legally blind. Legal blindness is a level of vision loss that has been defined by law to determine eligibility for benefits. It refers to explicitly to those who have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

Data source: 2016 Annual Report: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. http://www.aph.org/annual-reports. The American Printing House for the Blind maintains an annual register of legally blind persons in educational settings below the college level.
Read our brief resource guide to APH data.

Child Population (2015 ACS Data)

According to the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 539,696 children with vision difficulty in the U.S. According to the 2015 ACS, there were 279,449 males and 260,247 females with vision difficulty under the age of 18 in the U.S.

Definition and scope: The children referred to range in age from 0-17 years and only include those children that had serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses as well as those that were blind.

Data source: 2015 American Community Survey. http://www.census.gov/acs/www/
Read our brief resource guide to the ACS.

Student Population (2014 APH Data)

According to the 2015 Annual Report from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), based upon data from January of 2014, there were approximately 61,298 U.S. children, youth, and adult students in educational settings who were legally blind.

Definition and scope: The students referred to ranged in age from 0-21 years as well as certain qualifying adult students and only included those students with vision loss that were legally blind. Legal blindness is a level of vision loss that has been defined by law to determine eligibility for benefits. It refers to explicitly to those who have a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

Data source: 2015 Annual Report: American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. http://www.aph.org/annual-reports. The American Printing House for the Blind maintains an annual register of legally blind persons in educational settings below the college level.
Read our brief resource guide to APH data.

Child Population (2014 ACS Data)

According to the 2014 American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 543,893 children with vision difficulty in the U.S. According to the 2015 ACS, there were 282,398 males and 261,413 females with vision difficulty under the age of 18 in the U.S.

Definition and scope: The children referred to ranged in age from 0-17 years and only included those children that had serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses as well as those that were blind.

Data source: 2014 American Community Survey. http://www.census.gov/acs/www/
Read our brief resource guide to the ACS.

Information about the American Printing House Federal Quota Census is available in the Federal Quota section of the APH website.

These statistics and other information about the American Community Survey, including data for years prior to 2014, are available from Data.Census.Gov, a free web-based tool from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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