Listing code
2.04
Adult (Part A)
Body system
2.00
Special senses and speech
Subsections
2
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Loss of visual efficiency, or visual impairment, in the better eye:
Subsection A
A visual efficiency percentage of 20 or less after best correction (see 2.00A7d ). OR
Subsection B
A visual impairment value of 1.00 or greater after best correction (see 2.00A8d ).
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 2.04. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 2.04 usually fail
One pitfall is using measurements from the worse eye instead of the better eye. Another pitfall is relying on vision results that are not clearly identified as being 'after best correction,' such as uncorrected vision or vision with an outdated prescription. A third pitfall is treating visual efficiency results and visual impairment values as interchangeable, since 2.04 requires meeting either the Subsection A threshold (20 or less) OR the Subsection B threshold (1.00 or greater). Finally, people sometimes stop at a diagnosis name (like 'poor vision') without showing the specific numbers that match the lettered criteria in 2.04.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
The key documentation for 2.04 is objective testing that reports the better eye results 'after best correction,' with either the visual efficiency percentage (needed to show 20 or less under Subsection A) or the visual impairment value (needed to show 1.00 or greater under Subsection B). The listing also points to supporting definitions and how to determine those values through references to 2.00A7d (for visual efficiency) and 2.00A8d (for visual impairment), so the medical record should include the measurement values that correspond to those referenced concepts.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If Subsection A and Subsection B thresholds are not met for the better eye after best correction, the claim generally moves away from a 'meets listing' approval. SSA then evaluates the person's residual functional capacity (RFC) and how that limits work-related activities, using the medical evidence and other factors in the disability determination process. Many claims that miss a specific vision-number listing still get approved later if the overall functional limits are severe enough.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For SSDI claims, the SGA work activity gate applies at the start, meaning the ability to perform substantial work activity can affect eligibility even when vision is impaired. For this particular listing, 2.04 focuses on very limited visual efficiency (20 or less) or a high visual impairment value (1.00 or greater) in the better eye after best correction, which typically signals that sustained work requiring vision can be very difficult. If 2.04 is used to support an approval, then work after approval is handled under the usual SSA rules for trial work and continued eligibility (extended period of eligibility follows, depending on the work pattern).
Listing 2.04 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for loss of visual efficiency, or visual impairment, in the better eye disability claims.