Context: The prevention of visual impairment is an international priority which was agreed upon at the World Health Assembly of 2002. Yet, countries like India lack contemporary data on the prevalence and the causes from which the priorities for its prevention, treatment and management can be identified.

Aims: To identify the leading causes of visual disability among certified, visually disabled individuals in the Hassan District in Karnataka, India.

Settings and Design: A prospective cross-sectional study. Methods and Material: The cases were selected on the basis of a simple random sampling method.

Statistical analysis: Descriptive analysis was done and the results were expressed in terms of mean, median and proportions.

Results: In our study, the leading causes of certification for blindness and partial sight were congenital anomalies, refractive errors and retinitis pigmentosa.

Conclusion: There will be a variation in the prevalence of leading causes of certification for blindness and partial sight, from one geographical area to another. If the accurate cause is identified, the necessary preventive measures can be taken.