In situations where a careful, precise examination is needed, specialized equipment will usually be used in addition to a Snellen chart. Then you’ll do it all again covering the other eye. The smallest row you can read accurately? That’s the row that indicates your visual acuity for that eye. To take the test, you’ll stand 20 feet away from the poster, cover one eye, then read aloud each letter starting with the top row. When you stop by your eye doctor, it’s usually the easiest and quickest way to get a solid read on the status of your vision. Both are eye charts that help doctors estimate visual acuity, but we’ll focus on the Snellen chart which has been in practice since 1862.ĭeveloped by Dutch ophthalmologist Herman Snellen, the chart features eleven lines of letters (which are formally called optotypes) starting with the largest at top and getting smaller with each subsequent row.

That chart we’ve all squinted at? It’s usually a Snellen chart, but the newer LogMAR chart has recently been introduced into practice. Sure, we’ve all experienced a visit to the eye doctor, repeating letters we’re squinting to see, but how is it all measured? What does it mean when you’re told you have 20/20 vision? However, not everyone understands how an individual is defined with blindness or visual impairment.

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2020 vision meaning