Blind, VI, VC and Low Vision: What Each Term Means

Blind, visually impaired (VI), visually challenged (VC) and low vision describe different levels of sight loss, and they are not interchangeable. Blind is a term with a measured legal definition in India and elsewhere, visually impaired is a broad description of reduced vision, and low vision describes sight that cannot be fully corrected but can still be used with aids. Visually challenged is an older phrase that some people prefer not to use.

Key takeaways

• Blind, VI, VC and low vision describe different situations, and one term does not cover them all.
• Blindness has a measured legal threshold. Under India's RPWD Act, 2016 it means total absence of sight, visual acuity worse than 3/60 (10/200) in the better eye with the best possible correction, or a severely restricted field of vision.
• Low vision means vision that cannot be fully corrected with glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery, but is still usable with aids.
• In CSR documents, use the wording of the law and the programme. In conversation, ask the person which term they prefer.

What Blind, VI, VC and Low Vision mean in practice

The table below sets out each term, its plain meaning and where you are most likely to see it. The definitions for legal blindness and low vision are the ones used in this guide.

Why the terms matter

The World Health Organization's 2019 World report on vision estimated that at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have a near or distance vision impairment. That figure includes people with mild impairment who see well with glasses, and people with very little useful sight. One word cannot describe both groups accurately, which is why precise terms matter.

The terms also shape decisions. A programme uses them to decide who it serves. A buyer uses them to understand what a device needs to do. A donor uses them to judge whether a project reaches the people it describes. If the terms are vague, the programme may be measured against the wrong group.

The Indian legal context

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWD Act) is India's disability law. It uses the categories of blindness and low vision, and many schemes and certificates follow the same wording. Where a document refers to eligibility, it should use the same words the Act or the relevant scheme uses, rather than a term chosen for style.

The terms also overlap in practice. Someone with low vision may use magnification and still be described as visually impaired in a report, while a person who is legally blind may still see light, colour or large shapes. Blindness is not always total darkness, and many blind people use some sight in daily life. Describing a person by the category that fits their situation, rather than assuming a single picture, avoids errors in both reports and conversations. A short definition in a footnote is often enough to keep a whole document consistent.

Certificates and eligibility lists also change over time. When you rely on a figure or a category in a document, note the year and the source, so that a reader can check the wording against the current rules.

Which term to use in CSR documents

• Use the RPWD Act wording when describing eligibility or categories, such as blindness and low vision.
• Use blind or visually impaired in impact reports and plain descriptions, and keep the choice consistent through the document.
• Avoid visually challenged in new writing unless you are quoting a source or the people concerned prefer it.
• State the definition you are using once in the report, with its source, so readers do not have to guess.

Which term to use in conversation

Ask the person what they prefer. Some blind people describe themselves as blind without discomfort, and others prefer visually impaired. Use the term they use. If you do not know, person who is blind or person with a visual impairment is clear and respectful. Avoid phrases such as suffering from blindness, because they frame sight loss as a tragedy, which many blind people do not feel it is.

When a family member is describing a relative, the same rule applies. Use the words the person uses about themselves, and let the conversation move at their pace.

Next steps for CSR teams

If your team is using these terms in a programme, start by agreeing one set of definitions for the whole project, and share them with partners, field staff and any agency that reports on the work so that the language stays the same from proposal to final report. The CSR page explains how SMARTON works with companies on disability inclusion, and our RPWD Act guide for CSR managers sets out the legal categories in more detail.