If your eyesight isn’t up to snuff, it’s likely you have some form of corrective lenses. However, for some careers, contact lenses or glasses may not be practical or even acceptable. Photographers, for example, find glasses to be intrusive as they are unable to hold the camera right up to their eye. But, these high danger and high-risk jobs actually require 20/20 vision in order to get the position.

Firefighters

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Firefighters need to be able to spot victims in burning buildings instantly, as well as spot dangers from fire damage when arriving at the scene of a fire, making fantastic eyesight a must. In addition, you must be able to quickly scan fire codes on buildings or structures in order to understand what method should be used to resolve the situation.

The exposure to smoke and other debris can make contact lenses dangerous, and rule them out as options.

Police Officers

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Having bad eye sight as a police officer is going to do more harm than good in the long run. If the officer is unable to identify a criminal within a crowd or properly judge a situation quickly due to vision that isn’t up to par, he may be putting himself and others at risk. Ideally, officers should have 20/20 vision in order to help them in the event of danger, to aid in criminal investigations or to be a witness in court.

Life Guards

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Often seen at the local pool or at the beach, lifeguards can be found seated on high tower chairs or in high tower posts overlooking the area. As they are inherently far away from any situation, it is imperative they have 20/20 vision so they can spot people who are in danger and can react as quickly as possible.

First Responders / Paramedics

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First responders only have moments to assess a situation. If they don’t notice everything within a few seconds of arriving on the scene, the life of the person they came to rescue could be at risk. Needless to say, 20/20 eyesight is a must for paramedics to quickly respond, identify injuries or read medical alert bracelets.

If you find yourself with subpar vision and traveling down one of these career paths, you may need to consider laser eye surgery. And while 20/20 eyesight is a must for these careers, it remains important to have healthy vision for everyone else. Our eyes are windows to our world; if you can’t see clearly, you’ll miss out on the little things. If you haven’t already, it’s best to schedule your yearly eye exam as soon as possible.