Why Do Blind People Wear Sunglasses? Benefits & Protection
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Medically reviewed by Grace Zhang, MD — Written by Daniel Yetman — Updated on November 14, 2024- Legal blindness
- Improve vision
- UV ray protection
- Foreign object protection
- Communicate blindness
- Overcoming stereotypes
- Takeaway
When someone with blindness wears sunglasses, it can help communicate their condition to others or be for protective reasons. Sunglasses may help them maximize their vision.
It’s a common misconception that most people with blindness have no vision. Only 15 percent of people with eye disorders have total blindness. The other 85 percent can see at least a limited amount.
A handful of reasons may explain why a person with blindness chooses to wear sunglasses. Despite the stereotype, it’s usually not to hide their eyes but to protect them from bright lights and glares.
What does it mean to be legally blind?
In the U.S., legal blindness is your ability to see fine detail straight ahead under 20/200 in your better-seeing eye with corrective lenses.
Having 20/200 vision means you must be 20 feet away from an object to see it as clearly as a person without visual impairment at 200 feet.
Legal blindness can also be defined as a visual field less than 20 degrees in your better-seeing eye without moving your eyes from side to side.
To get an idea of what this looks like, poke a hole into a piece of paper with the tip of a pen and look through.
Sunglasses can improve vision for blind people
The vast majority of people with legal blindness have some degree of vision.
Sunglasses may help maximize what they can see by cutting down glare. A glare that only takes up a small portion of a seeing person’s visual field may take up nearly all of the visual field of a person with blindness.
People with vision loss commonly experience light sensitivity (photophobia). Sunglasses may help protect the eyes from photophobia and bright lights that may cause discomfort or further vision loss.
Protection from the sun
The eyes of people with a visual impairment are just as vulnerable to damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays as anyone else’s.
UV rays raise the risk of developing conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration.
For people with legal blindness with some degree of vision, sunglasses may help prevent further vision loss from UV light exposure.
Protection from particles, dust, and injury
Sunglasses provide a barrier to protect the eyes of a person with blindness from foreign objects.
People with visual impairments are at a higher risk of getting foreign objects in their eyes and feel as much pain as a seeing person if an object scratches or injures their eyes.
Air particles like dust or pollen can cause eye irritation. Sunglasses may act as a protective barrier to reduce the amount of these particles that enter the eyes of a person with blindness.
To communicate blindness
Seeing somebody wearing sunglasses and carrying a white cane is often recognized as a sign of blindness. Some blind people may wear sunglasses to communicate their blindness easily in certain situations.
Communicating blindness encourages people to adopt potentially helpful behaviors, like keeping a safe distance in crowded areas.
Overcoming the stereotype
It’s a stereotype that most people with blindness wear sunglasses to hide their eyes. Sunglasses, however, typically have a protective role to avoid eye damage and maximize vision.
If you have limited vision, you may also try to do everything you can to protect it.
Some people with blindness may choose to wear sunglasses. They may feel uncomfortable showing their eyes to people, or they may find that they communicate better while wearing them.
The takeaway
The majority of people with legal blindness have some degree of vision. Sunglasses can help people with blindness — and those with full sight likewise — protect their eyes from bright lights and foreign objects.
It’s a stereotype that the main reason blind people wear sunglasses is to hide their eyes. While some blind people may choose to wear sunglasses for this reason, sunglasses usually play a more protective role.
Check out Healthline’s support and resources for navigating blindness.
How we reviewed this article:
SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.- Blindness and vision impairment. (2023).https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
- Lee SY, et al. (2024). Blindness.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448182/
- Light sensitivity (photophobia). (2023).https://www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health/eye-conditions/light-sensitivity
- Low vision and legal blindness terms and descriptions. (n.d.).https://www.afb.org/blindness-and-low-vision/eye-conditions/low-vision-and-legal-blindness-terms-and-descriptions
- Protecting your eyes from the sun's UV light. (2022).https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/protecting-your-eyes-suns-uv-light
- Ultraviolet (UV) protection. (n.d.).https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/uv-protection?sso=y
- Walsh A, et al. (2023). EMS management of eye injuries.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585131/
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Medically reviewed by Grace Zhang, MD — Written by Daniel Yetman — Updated on November 14, 2024related stories
- What Can Blind People See?
- What Is Considered Legally Blind?
- White Cane: Using and Understanding This Tool for Blindness or Low Vision
- Yes, Blind People Dream, Too
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