Abstract: Prior research has established that visual health disparities prevalent within the United States include a lack of workforce diversity, low-income, rural geographic, lack of education, lack of technological literacy, and a lack of transportation. The goal of this research paper was to gain insight on visual health disparities within Allegheny County and to compare findings back to those in the rest of the U.S. Research was conducted through the use of a survey and participants were 18+ living within Allegheny County. Basic findings included that low-income, lack of education/health literacy, and lack of technological literacy were prevalent visual health disparities within Allegheny County, impacting participants similarly to individuals throughout the country. However, a lack of workforce diversity, rural geographic, and a lack of transportation were impactful disparities within the rest of the U.S. However, these disparities were not found to be prevalent within Allegheny County. This concludes an urgency for more research to be conducted to see how visual health disparities affect individuals within specific suburban communities in order to reach a customized resolution differing from the action taking place throughout the rest of the country.
Key Words: Visual Health Disparities, Ophthalmology, Allegheny County, The United States