Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Low vision and the military (self.Blind)
submitted by coffee4jesus16
I've had this question for awhile but have never gotten a solid answer. Can someone with low vision be in the military? Especially someone who has a bioptic lenses drivers license? If they can't, are their military support role jobs that people with low vision can do, such as JAG?
Backstory and reason for the thought: I have low vision (20/60, both eyes) and was engaged to a lawyer who was applying for Army JAG. I'm not really the type of person who would make a good army wife so I was contemplating working on my JD so I could apply for the JAG as well. The engagement was broken off and he wasn't accepted anyhow but it didn't dawn on me until awhile later me working in the military might not even have been an option.
Backstory and reason for the thought: I have low vision (20/60, both eyes) and was engaged to a lawyer who was applying for Army JAG. I'm not really the type of person who would make a good army wife so I was contemplating working on my JD so I could apply for the JAG as well. The engagement was broken off and he wasn't accepted anyhow but it didn't dawn on me until awhile later me working in the military might not even have been an option.
KillerLag 1 points 6y ago
I've never heard of someone who had low vision that JOINED the military. However, there has been a number of cases where someone was in the military, lost their vision, and continued to serve in a different role.
There was also the case of someone who was deaf that wanted to join the military. Keith Nolan. It was.... not easy. I've added the youtube link for his TED Talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtKTcPq7XBs
You would probably need to talk to a recruiter to find out. I would imagine that there are a number of positions where someone doesn't need perfect sight, but they may require people to have still passed basic training, which likely does require full sight.
There was also the case of someone who was deaf that wanted to join the military. Keith Nolan. It was.... not easy. I've added the youtube link for his TED Talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtKTcPq7XBs
You would probably need to talk to a recruiter to find out. I would imagine that there are a number of positions where someone doesn't need perfect sight, but they may require people to have still passed basic training, which likely does require full sight.
f1ourish 1 points 6y ago
I know when I went through MEPS to join I was disqualified for eyesight (20/50 in my best corrected eye). I also wanted a support role. My recruiter said I could write a letter to my congressman asking for a medical waiver but tbh I figured that wouldn't do anything so I never tried.
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