PURPOSE. To determine the impact of visual impairment on functional vision of children in a rural population of south India. METHODS. A visual function questi onnaire (LVP-VFQ) was administered to 1 194 children aged 7 to 15 years identif ied through a systematic random sampling technique from 144 hamlets of Kariapatt i in rural south India as part of a larger population-based project. Visual acu ity estimations and clinical examinations for morbidity were performed in these 1 194 children. A Rasch analysis was performed to validate the use of the instru ment in this population. Bootstrap estimates (95%confidence intervals) of the r egression coefficients were used to compare visual function scores between child ren with normal sight and children with unconnected monocular and binocular visu al impairment. RESULTS. The mean age of children was 10.3±2.1 years. The reliab ility estimates were 0.82 for person ability and 0.88 for item difficulty parame ters, according to the Rasch analysis. Aseparation index of 2.15 was obtained fo r person measures and 2.74 for item measures, and the mean square infit and outf it statistics were 1.03 (ZSTD 0.1) and 0.99 (ZSTD -0.1), respectively. Children with monocular visual impairment (bootstrap estimate 95%CI -0.05 -0.08 to -0.01) and binocular visual impairment (bootstrap estimate 95%CI -0.09 -0.11 to -0.07)were more likely to have functional visual deficits than were normally sighted peers. CONCLUSIONS. Monocular or binocular visual impairment im pacts on the functional vision of children in this rural population. Further stu dies are needed to determine the impact of treatment of visual impairment on functional vision in children of t his population. PURPOSE. To determine the impact of visual impairment on functional vision of children in a rural population of south India. METHODS. A visual function questi onnaire (LVP-VFQ) was administered to 1 194 children aged 7 to 15 years Identified through a systematic random sampling technique from 144 hamlets of Kariapatt i in rural south India as part of a larger population-based project. Visual acu ity estimations and clinical examinations for morbidity were performed in 1 194 children. A Rasch analysis was performed to validate the use of the instru ment in this population. Bootstrap estimates (95% confidence intervals) of the r egression coefficients were used to compare visual function scores between child ren with normal sight and children with unconnected monocular and binocular visu al impairment. RESULTS. The mean age of children was 10.3 ± 2.1 years. The reliability measures were 0.82 for person ability and 0.88 for item difficulty parame ters, according to the Rasch analysys is. Aseparation index of 2.15 was obtained fo r measures and 2.74 for item measures, and the mean square infit and outf it statistics were 1.03 (ZSTD 0.1) and 0.99 (ZSTD -0.1), respectively. Children with monocular visual impairment (bootstrap estimate 95% CI -0.05 -0.08 to -0.01) and binocular visual impairment (bootstrap estimate 95% CI -0.09 -0.11 to -0.07) were more likely to have functional visual deficits than were normally weighted members. CONCLUSIONS. Monocular or binocular visual impairment im pacts on the functional vision of children in this rural population. Further stu dies are needed to determine the impact of treatment of visual impairment on functional vision in children of t his population.