In this area, you will find statistical information specific to individual states. This is a new feature and we will be updating it annually.
AFB urges investigators to pay attention to the detailed background information provided along with each individual state estimate.
Current state-specific statistical information is from the 2008-2016 American Community Surveys (single-year datasets). These are the most recent survey years available as of May 2018. The American Community Survey (ACS) data are based on individuals who reported to have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses as well as those that are blind. Information from the state-specific section should NOT be compared to totals found in other sections of AFB's statistical snapshots site for reasons stated above.
Read our brief resource guide to ACS data.
Please be advised that estimates of the number of people experiencing vision loss differ based on the various definitions of vision loss used, as well as on the dates the data were collected, populations surveyed, and other features of data sources. Different data sources use different definitions of vision loss and different methodology for data collection that make such comparisons invalid "apples to oranges" comparisons. In the very few instances when there is an opportunity for investigators to make specific comparisons, there will be an explicit message pertaining to the possibility of making valid "apples to apples" comparisons and the specific data that have the potential to be used for this purpose.
