Rhode Island § 40-9-15 - Services for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

§ 40-9-15. Reports of blindness of persons.

(a) Whenever, upon examination at a clinic, hospital, or other institution, or elsewhere, by a physician, optometrist or other person, the visual acuity of any person is found to be twenty/two hundred (20/200) or less in the better eye with the best correction, or the visual acuity is better than twenty/two hundred (20/200) if the widest diameter of the field of vision subtends an angle no greater than twenty (20) degrees, the superintendent or other person in charge of the clinic, hospital, or other institution, or the physician, optometrist, or other person who conducted or was in charge of the examination if it took place elsewhere than in the clinic, hospital, or other institution, shall, within thirty (30) days, report to the director of the department of human services the result of the examination, and that the blindness of the person examined has been established.

(b) Any state, city, and town agencies administering benefits to the blind or visually impaired by way of tax exemptions, welfare payments, or otherwise, shall report the names of the persons to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles for the purpose of evaluation by the medical advisory board within the division of motor vehicles as to the fitness of the persons to safely operate motor vehicles upon the highways of this state.