The 20/20 Myth
The 20/20 myth is the belief that clear eyesight on an eye chart means the whole visual system is working perfectly. However, 20/20 sight mainly measures distance clarity; it does not show how comfortably the eyes focus, track, work together, or support reading and learning.
The 20/20 myth is the belief that clear eyesight on an eye chart means the whole visual system is working perfectly. However, 20/20 sight mainly measures distance clarity; it does not show how comfortably the eyes focus, track, work together, or support reading and learning.
What the 20/20 Myth Does NOT Tell You
- how long you can read that letter for clearly
- how comfortably you can read that letter
- how well you can transfer from working on a near task to a distance task and back
- whether your two eyes are tracking a target efficiently
- how your brain interprets the information
- how your visual perceptual skills are
- how efficient your binocular coordination is
- that you will be able to perform well in sports
- whether your eyes can track together properly when reading
An individual can have 20/20 sight and still have a visual perceptual problem or a learning difficulty that has a major visual roadblock contributing (if not creating) the problem.
An individual can have 20/20 sight and have poor eye hand coordination. They even can have achieved moderate to high levels of success in their athletic endeavors but still have visual difficulties which are hindering them from achieving their potential.
An individual can have 20/20 sight and see word move on the page when reading… or have troubles learning to read… or continue reversing letters/numbers… or have troubles with attention (sometimes labelled ADD/ADHD).
How the 20/20 Myth Relates to Prescription Glasses
The 20/20 myth can make some people think glasses or vision support are unnecessary. However, some individuals can attain 20/20 sight acuity while still using a lot of visual effort to maintain clarity.
For general education, the American Optometric Association explains that comprehensive eye exams go beyond the goal of 20/20 vision.