Visual acuity of 20/50 indicates which statement about reading capability?

• A. Individual can read at 20 feet what an average person can read at 50 feet
• B. Individual can read at 50 feet what an average person can read at 20 feet
• C. Individual can read the 50 items listed 20 feet away
• D. Individual can read the 20 items listed 50 feet away

Answer: (A)

Visual acuity notation describes how clearly you see details at a distance. A 20/50 acuity means you can read at 20 feet what a person with normal vision could read at 50 feet. In other words, your vision is worse than normal, so you must be closer to the text or use larger print to recognize the same details. This is why the correct statement is that you can read at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can read at 50 feet. The other ideas don’t reflect how acuity is measured—it's not about reading a number of items or about reading at the opposite distance.