Chapter 5: Counseling Youth with Visual Impairment and Blindness

Approximately 6.8% of children in the United States have a diagnosed eye condition, the majority of which are correctable with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or brief medical intervention (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2020). The American Printing House for the Blind (APH), which oversees federal funds for children with visual impairment (VI), had 56,137 K–12 students registered in the 2020 fiscal year (APH, 2020). Compared to the 73 million children in the United States, this group represents a very small percentage (0.0008%). Even when considering the high likelihood of undercounting in APH’s statistics, it is clear that the term “low incidence disability” is appropriately applied to this population.