Alabama § 1-1-3 - “Blind Person” Defined; How Blindness Proved.

§ 1-1-3. “Blind Person” Defined; How Blindness Proved.

(a) As used in this Code or any statute of this state heretofore or hereafter enacted, unless the context requires a different meaning, the term “blind person” means a natural person who has no vision or whose vision with correcting glasses is so defective as to prevent the performance of ordinary activities for which eyesight is essential, or who has central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting glasses, or whose central visual acuity is more than 20/200 in the better eye with correcting glasses but whose peripheral field has contracted to such an extent that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.

(b) The condition of blindness may be proved by a blind person claiming any rights or benefits provided under any statute of this state by certificate of a duly licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist.

(c) Nothing herein contained shall prevent the Alabama State Department of Human Resources from establishing a different definition of blindness for use in determining eligibility for blind assistance under the program administered by it as provided for in Section 38-4-1, or from establishing procedures and qualifying personnel to determine the existence of blindness within such definition so established for such purpose or from reviewing any such determination so made to determine the correctness of such decision in its supervisory power in the administration of the blind assistance program.