This page explains what an eye disability assessment involves: what is examined, what it produces, and how it differs from a formal opinion.
If you simply want to see the figures, the starting point is the eye disability calculator, which computes from the clauses themselves. This page concerns the stage after that — where the data themselves are not unambiguous.
What a vision disability assessment is
A full ophthalmic examination whose results are read in the language of the disability tests rather than the language of a visit summary. An ordinary visit summary answers the clinical question: what the eye has and how it is treated. The disability tests ask something else — what exactly was measured, under what conditions, and whether the finding falls under a particular clause and at which grade within it.
The gap between those two languages is why perfectly sound cases reach a committee with documentation that does not carry the claim.
Who it is for
- Before a medical committee — to know what the existing documentation shows and what is missing from it, while there is still time to complete it.
- Before commissioning an opinion — so that an opinion is not commissioned in a file whose documentation will not carry it.
- After a decision that appears wrong — to check whether the finding was matched to the correct clause and whether the weighting was done properly.
- For law firms — as a preliminary stage before deciding on an opinion in a file.
What the assessment covers
- Best corrected visual acuity in each eye. This is the measurement the clause 52 table is built on; without best correction it distorts the picture in both directions.
- Visual field where the impairment touches the field, including the reliability indices and not only the final printout.
- A full anterior segment examination: cornea, lens, intraocular pressure and ocular surface.
- Imaging where relevant — topography, photography, and a located description of a scar and its relation to the visual axis.
- Reading a sequence — comparison across dates, to show a stable state rather than a single snapshot.
What it produces
An ordered picture of four things: what the visual finding actually is, which clause of the disability tests it fits, what range follows under the applicable schedule, and which examinations are missing or insufficiently reliable.
The assessment does not determine a disability percentage. That is determined by the medical committee in the relevant route, or by the court in civil proceedings. Nor does it guarantee an outcome — in a fair number of cases it shows that the range is lower than expected, and that too is a useful answer.
The schedule depends on the route
The same ocular finding is graded differently under different schedules. The National Insurance tests, the Ministry of Defence disabled persons regulations and civil proceedings do not overlap — some clauses were repealed in one place and remain in force in another, and minimal findings are graded differently.
The assessment is therefore carried out against the route that actually applies: National Insurance, Ministry of Defence or civil proceedings. For general background on ophthalmic opinions see Expert Medical Opinion in Ophthalmology.
How to make contact
Examinations take place in Haifa and Herzliya by prior appointment. No full file is needed at first contact — a short description of the injury, the route and the stage it has reached is enough to check suitability. Every case is considered on its own merits, with no undertaking as to a conclusion or as to the outcome of the proceeding.
Get in touch to check suitability for an assessment
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an assessment and an opinion?
An assessment is a preliminary stage: an examination of the visual state and the existing documentation, mapped onto the relevant clauses of the disability tests, so as to know which range is even in play and what is missing. An opinion is a formal document submitted to a committee or a court. Not every case needs an opinion, and sometimes the assessment shows that the documentation does not support the conclusion — better to know that in advance.
If the site has a calculator, why is an assessment needed?
The calculator computes the result from the clauses themselves and is a good starting point where the data are clear. An assessment is needed where they are not: acuity recorded without best correction, an unreliable visual field, uncertainty as to which clause applies, or more than one impairment requiring weighting. The figures themselves can be viewed independently in the [eye disability calculator](/en/disability-calculator/).
Which examinations should be brought?
Best corrected visual acuity, preferably from more than one date; a visual field test with its reliability indices where the impairment touches the field; corneal imaging where relevant; and records from the event itself. If some examinations are missing or outdated, that is itself a finding — they can usually be completed before the committee.
Does the assessment determine the disability percentage?
No. The percentage is determined by the medical committee in the relevant route, or by the court in civil proceedings. The assessment sets out what the finding is, which clause it fits and what range follows under the applicable schedule — it binds no one and guarantees no outcome.
Can an assessment be carried out after a decision has already been given?
Yes, and this is a common use. The assessment examines whether the finding was matched to the correct clause, whether the examinations the decision rested on were reliable, and whether the weighting and ceiling rules were applied properly. Appeal deadlines are short and differ between routes, so the applicable date should be checked with the relevant body promptly.
Where does the examination take place?
In Haifa and Herzliya, by prior appointment. No full file is needed at first contact — a short description of the injury, the route and the stage it has reached is enough to check suitability.