Daily AncestorBlind
Blind in a census disability column meant a person who could not see, counted from 1830 and noted by name from 1850; partial blindness was usually left out.
The 1830 and 1840 censuses counted blind persons as a number in the household. From 1850 the enumerator wrote blind opposite the name. The 1860 instructions say partial blindness should not be noted and suggest adding the cause if known.
In 1870 only total blindness was intended. The 1910 schedule used Bl for anyone blind in both eyes, so unable to read even with glasses.
As seen in a recordDisability column of the 1850 to 1870 census
Varney, Hester | 78 | F | W | Blind
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Blind." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/census-terms/blind. Last checked 2026-10-03.