What You Need to Know About Blindness and Vision Loss: Symptoms of partial or total blindness can vary in adults, children, and infants. Regular eye examinations can help diagnose certain eye conditions, including glaucoma, that may lead to blindness early. Blindness is the inability to see anything, including light. If you’re partially blind, you have limited vision. For example, you may have blurry vision or the inability to distinguish the shapes of objects. Complete blindness means you can’t see at all. Legal blindness refers to highly compromised vision. What a person with regular vision can see from 200 feet away, a legally blind person can see from only 20 feet away. Seek medical attention right away if you suddenly lose vision. Have someone bring you to the emergency room for treatment. Don’t wait for your vision to return. There are no cures for blindness, but there are ways to help you manage complete or partial blindness.