The Disability Squeeze: Financial Burden of Blindness and Low Vision

Based on a 2024 American Foundation for the Blind–Stony Brook University survey of 288 adults who are blind or have low vision (BLV), ages 18–88:

• • 80% of respondents had disability-related expenses; on average, those costs reached $6,743 per year, which is approximately 27% of household income

• • Among those earning under $25,000 annually, average disability-related spending consumed around 40% of income

• Over a third reported that these expenses made it hard to meet basic needs, including paying for food, housing, or utilities; 25% had taken on debt due to these costs.