Property tax break for blind, deaf, or totally disabled people

(a) Any person who is blind or deaf, so long as the person’s sight or hearing is so impaired, shall be exempt from real property taxes on all real property owned by the person up to, but not exceeding a taxable value of $25,000. The impairment of sight or hearing shall be certified to by a qualified ophthalmologist, optometrist, or otolaryngologist, as the case may be, on forms prescribed by the department of budget and fiscal services. (b) Any person who is totally disabled, as long as the person is totally disabled, shall be exempt from real property taxes on all real property owned by the person up to, but not exceeding a taxable value of $25,000. The disability shall be certified to by a physician licensed under HRS Chapter 453 on forms prescribed by the department of budget and fiscal services. (c) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. Blind. A person whose visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose visual acuity is greater than 20/200 but is accompanied by a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees. Deaf. A person whose average loss in speech frequencies (500-2000 Hertz) in the better ear is 82 decibels, A.S.A., or worse. Totally Disabled. A person who is totally and permanently disabled, either physically or mentally, which results in the person’s inability to engage in any substantial gainful business or occupation. )