Data Corner

In 2008 the Bureau of Labor Statistics added questions to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to identify people with disabilities. This includes identifying people with a visual impairment, based on “Yes” responses to the question, “Is anyone blind or does anyone have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?” Data available from the CPS include:

  • labor force participation for people who are blind or have low vision (B/LV)
  • employment rate for people who are B/LV
  • unemployment rate for people who are B/LV
  • national prevalence estimate for visual impairment

The U.S. Census Bureau also added disability questions to their American Community Survey (ACS) in 2008. This includes identifying people with a visual impairment, based on “Yes” responses to the question, “Is this person blind or does he/she have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?” The ACS includes data on a wide range of topics, including labor force statistics and prevalence estimates for visual impairment.

On this page, we provide access to data from both surveys. Select a data source to begin exploring.

If you are interested in statistics by state, select the ACS data.

If you are interested in statistics by age group, gender, and/or race, select the CPS data.

The most recent statistics are provided and will be updated as new data becomes available.

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In 2008 the Bureau of Labor Statistics added questions to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to identify people with disabilities. This includes identifying people with a visual impairment, based on “Yes” responses to the question, “Is anyone blind or does anyone have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?” Data available from the CPS include:

  • labor force participation for people who are blind or have low vision (B/LV)
  • employment rate for people who are B/LV
  • unemployment rate for people who are B/LV
  • national prevalence estimate for visual impairment

The U.S. Census Bureau also added disability questions to their American Community Survey (ACS) in 2008. This includes identifying people with a visual impairment, based on “Yes” responses to the question, “Is this person blind or does he/she have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?” The ACS includes data on a wide range of topics, including labor force statistics and prevalence estimates for visual impairment.

On this page, we provide access to data from both surveys. Select a data source to begin exploring.

CPS Data
  • Select below to see data for:
ACS Data