Current diabetes vision care guidelines suggest that people receive at least an annual dilated eye examination 5 years after the diagnosis of Type I diabetes and a dilated eye examination at the time of diagnosis of Type II diabetes, and at least annually thereafter. Hispanics in the United States have a three-fold greater prevalence of diabetes than non-Hispanic Whites (Gardner et al., 1984; Stem, Rosenthal, Haffner, Hazuda & Franco, 1984). Furthermore, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported that Hispanic adults have nearly a two-fold greater incidence of diabetic retinopathy than non-Hispanic White adults (Haffner et al., 1988). As a result of lack of health insurance in conjunction with poverty and factors related to language, cultural health beliefs, immigration status, lack of transportation and childcare, or inconvenient medical office hours, health care services are underused by Hispanics in the United States, with serious implications for their health and well-being. This study describes the demographic and clinical characteristics of a group of Hispanic adults with diabetes who sought eye care at an ophthalmology clinic in the southwestern United States. The researchers identified systemic (lack of transportation or childcare) and socioeconomic (finances, inability to leave work) barriers as well as perceived barriers to accessing ophthalmic care. The majority in the study (60%) reported having a dilated examination no more frequently than every two years; 13% said they had never had such an examination. The study supported the argument that in some areas, serious financial barriers as well as other barriers of varying significance hamper the ability of the medically indigent to access health care (in this instance dilated eye examinations). Implications for practice, and suggestions to assist adult Hispanics with diabetes overcome some of the barriers faced when seeking eye care are also discussed.