2.02–2.04: Special Senses and Speech

What actually decides a claim under 2.02–2.04

Measured acuity and visual field in the better eye after best correction. Statutory blindness has its own definition in the Social Security Act and carries consequences beyond qualifying — the substantial gainful activity earnings limit is higher for blind claimants, and specific work-incentive provisions apply. Claims commonly fail because formal visual field testing by perimetry was never performed.

Conditions evaluated under 2.02–2.04

• Vision Loss and BlindnessHow SSA evaluates it, the evidence that decides it, and why claims are denied

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to meet 2.02–2.04 to be approved?

No. Meeting a listing is one route to approval and not the most common one. Most awards are made on residual functional capacity — what SSA concludes you can still do across a full working week, given your age, education and past work. A claim that falls short of 2.02–2.04 can still be approved that way, which is why a denial citing this listing is not the end of the matter.

What if my records do not meet 2.02–2.04 exactly?

Two things can still happen. SSA can find your condition medically equals the listing — equal in severity and duration without matching every criterion — or it can move on to the functional assessment described above. What sinks these claims is usually a gap in the file rather than a gap in the criteria: a limitation you live with that no doctor wrote down.

Which conditions are evaluated under 2.02–2.04?

Vision Loss and Blindness. The criteria are the same; what differs is the evidence each condition needs to satisfy them.