Guns for the Blind

USA Today reports on Iowa's interesting practice of granting permits for purchasing and carrying guns to applicants who are blind.  Iowa is a "shall-issue" state, meaning that as long as applicants meet a set of legally defined criteria, sheriffs are required to issue gun permits to them unless there is probable cause that the applicant will harm him or herself, or others.  Apparently, Iowa law requires people with severe visual impairments to obtain specialized training with firearms before applying for a permit, but as long as that requirement is met, the permit shall be issued unless the sheriff determines there is probable cause that the applicant will cause harm to him/herself or others.

Sheriffs have split on whether blind applicants are likely to cause harm, which has caught the media's attention (see, e.g. here, here, and here).  Iowa stands in contrast to other states like Kansas and Nebraska, which prohibit issuance of firearm permits to individuals with physical infirmities that prevent them from safely operating firearms.  Nebraska and South Carolina specifically require proof of vision before one can obtain a gun permit.

I am not familiar with the nuances of specialized firearms training that is available for people with visual impairments.  It appears in the original story that even people who advocate for equal rights and opportunities for the blind are hesitant to advocate for an equal right to bear arms.  That said, unless Iowa changes its laws governing firearm permits, the question of firearm issuance will remain a matter of discretion for sheriffs, and the controversy will probably continue.