Visual Impairments: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits

TABLE 2-1 Conversion Table for Visual Acuity Notations








Distance Vision Near Vision
  Snellen Fractions At 40 centimeters
LogMAR
notation		 MAR
exact		 MAR
notation*		 Decimal
notation*		 VE%
notation		 VAR
notation		 Based on
20 ft.*		 Based on
6 m.*		 Based on
4 m.*		 Snellen notation
0.40 meters*		 M Units
*		 Points
*		 x-height
(mm)
-0.30 0.501 0.50 2.00 109.4% 115 20/10 6/3 4/2 0.40/0.20 0.20 1.6 0.29
-0.20 0.631 0.63 1.60 106.8% 110 20/12.5 6/3.8 4/2.5 0.40/0.25 0.25 2.0 0.36
-0.10 0.794 0.80 1.25 103.6% 105 20/16 6/4.8 4/3.2 0.40/0.32 0.32 2.5 0.47
0.00 1.000 1.00 1.00 100.0% 100 20/20 6/6 4/4 0.40/0.40 0.40 3.2 0.58
0.10 1.259 1.25 0.80 95.6% 95 20/25 6/7.5 4/5 0.40/0.50 0.50 4.0 0.73
0.20 1.585 1.60 0.63 89.8% 90 20/32 6/9.5 4/6.3 0.40/0.63 0.63 5.0 0.92
0.30 1.995 2.0 0.50 83.6% 85 20/40 6/12 4/8 0.40/0.80 0.80 6.3 1.16
0.40 2.512 2.5 0.40 76.5% 80 20/50 6/15 4/10 0.40/1.00 1.00 8.0 1.45
0.50 3.162 3.2 0.32 67.5% 75 20/63 6/19 4/12.5 0.40/1.25 1.25 10.0 1.82
0.60 3.981 4.0 0.25 58.5% 70 20/80 6/24 4/16 0.40/1.60 1.60 12.5 2.33
0.70 5.012 5.0 0.20 48.9% 65 20/100 6/30 4/20 0.40/2.0 2.0 16 2.91
0.80 6.310 6.3 0.160 38.8% 60 20/125 6/38 4/25 0.40/2.5 2.5 20 3.64
0.90 7.943 8.0 0.125 28.6% 55 20/160 6/48 4/32 0.40/3.2 3.2 25 4.65
1.00 10.00 10.0 0.100 20.0% 50 20/200 6/60 4/40 0.40/4.0 4.0 32 5.82
1.10 12.59 12.5 0.080 12.8% 45 20/250 6/75 4/50 0.40/5.0 5.0 40 7.27
1.20 15.85 16 0.063 6.8% 40 20/320 6/95 4/63 0.40/6.3 6.3 50 9.16
1.30 19.95 20 0.050 3.3% 35 20/400 6/120 4/80 0.40/8.0 8.0 63 11.6
1.40 25.12 25 0.040 1.4% 30 20/500 6/150 4/100 0.40/10.0 10.0 80 14.5
1.50 31.62 32 0.032 0.4% 25 20/630 6/190 4/125 0.40/12.5 12.5 100 18.2
1.60 39.81 40 0.025   20 20/800 6/240 4/160 0.40/16 16 125 23.3
1.70 50.12 50 0.020   15 20/1000 6/300 4/200 0.40/20 20 160 29.1
1.80 63.10 63 0.016   10 20/1250 6/380 4/250 0.40/25 25 200 36.4
1.90 79.43 80 0.013   5 20/1600 6/480 4/320 0.40/32 32 250 46.5
2.00 100.0 100 0.010   0 20/2000 6/600 4/400 0.40/40 40 320 58.2

Note: Numbers rounded to simplify sequences. Rounding errors do not exceed 1.2 percent.

Source: Ian Bailey, personal communication.

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