The U.S. goverment may pay you 50% of your Chart-MAX cost.

DISABLED ACCESS TAX CREDIT
(Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, Section 44)

This new tax credit is available to "eligible small businesses" in the amount of 50 percent of "eligible access expenditures" that exceed $250 but do not exceed $10,250 for a taxable year. A business may take the credit each year that it makes an eligible access expenditure.

Eligible small businesses are those businesses with either:

• $1 million or less in gross receipts for the preceding tax year; or
• 30 or fewer full-time employees during the preceding tax year.

Eligible access expenditures are amounts paid or incurred by an eligible small business for the purpose of enabling the business to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ). These include amounts paid or incurred to:

• remove architectural, communication, physical, or transportation barriers that prevent a business from being accessible to, or usable by, individuals with disabilities;
• provide qualified readers, taped texts, and other effective methods of making materials accessible to people with visual impairments;
• provide qualified interpreters or other effective methods of making orally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments;
• acquire or modify equipment or devices for individuals with disabilities; or
• provide other similar services, modifications, materials or equipment.

Expenditures that are not necessary to accomplish the above purposes are not eligible. Expenses in connection with new construction are not eligible. "Disability" has the same meaning as it does in the ADA . To be eligible for the tax credit, barrier removals or the provision of services, modifications, materials or equipment must meet technical standards of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines where applicable. These standards are incorporated in Department of Justice regulations implementing Title III of the ADA (28 CFR Part 36; 56 CFR 35544, July 26, 1991).

Example: Company A purchases equipment to meet its reasonable accommodation obligation under the ADA for $8,000. The amount by which $8,000 exceeds $250 is $7,750. Fifty percent of $7,750 is $3,875. Company A may take a tax credit in the amount of $3,875 on its next tax return.

IRS Publication No. 907, providing information on these provisions, may be obtained by calling 1-800-829-3676. For further information, contact the Internal Revenue Service, Office of the Chief Counsel, P.O. Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044, (202) 566-3292 (voice only).

Chart-MAX is easily scalable from the normal 20/400 - 20/15 size optotypes up to a much larger optotype (only limited by the size of your CRT screen). Making the Zoom factor 4 times your normal zoom factor (in most exam rooms) creates a 20/1200 optotype.

Therefore it can be easily used to precisely measure the distance acuity of the legally blind, but sighted patient.

This appears to meet the criteria of item #2 and item #5 of the six criteria to qualify for the Disabled Acess Tax Credit. Discuss this with your tax specialist.