focus on low vision
Low Vision in Focus This Spring
Grace Hewlett
Events scheduled for both May and June will focus on low vision as well as healthy eyes.
This month is, in fact, Healthy Vision Month. The goal of this annual event is to raise awareness and help Americans make their vision more of a priority.
What better time to both consider expanding low vision services to your practice and communicate the importance of eye health within your community? Just look at the numbers below to see why:
■ NOW. According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), low vision currently impacts 3 million Americans over the age of 40.
■ NEXT. By the year 2030, that number is expected to rise to 4.5 million people.
To spread word of Healthy Vision Month on your website or other online vehicle, simply link to the NEI website’s Healthy Vision Month page (nei.nih.gov/hvm). It also features web buttons and widgets for you to add.
The NEI is a treasure trove of information about low vision, as well as resources for both patients and ECPs. See the sidebars accompanying this article for just a few of their materials, as well as resources from several other organizations.
EYE HEALTH SUMMIT
Following closely on the heels of Healthy Vision Month is the second annual “Focus on Eye Health National Summit.” Sponsored by Prevent Blindness America (PBA), and supported by a number of other leading organizations—including gold-level sponsors Genentech, The American Optometric Association, and The Vision Council—the one-day event is scheduled for June 18 at the Metro Center Marriott in Washington, DC. For information on the Summit, or to register, visit preventblindness.org/eyesummit.
Highlights of the Summit include a report released by PBA featuring new information about the high costs of vision problems, a follow-up to its groundbreaking 2007 study, “The Economic Impact of Vision Problems.” PBA notes that the event will also feature “presentations on the role of surveillance in vision and public health, women’s eye health, vision benefits for children, advances in low vision, and public health systems of care for vision.”
According to Hugh Perry, Prevent Blindness America’s president and CEO, “During the first Summit last year, we observed how crucial bringing together leaders and key stakeholders in the fight against eye disease could be in terms of sharing information, experience, and expertise. We recognized that the Summit could provide them with data they need to educate the public, as well as key policy makers, on how we can work collaboratively today to save the vision of millions of Americans in the future.”
As it did last year, in conjunction with the Summit, PBA will hold the Eyes on Capitol Hill event, which, according to PBA, “will bring those directly impacted by vision loss and blindness together with their government representatives.” It will include a reception for the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC) the evening of the Summit. The Caucus, explains PBA, is a bipartisan “coalition of more than 100 Congressional members dedicated to strengthening and stimulating a national dialogue and policy on vision-related problems and disabilities.” EB
| COMMUNITY OUTREACH |
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The “See Well for a Lifetime” toolkit, designed to help ECPs educate older consumers about eye health, vision impairment, and low vision, is available from The National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP). It consists of three educational modules—Making Vision a Healthy Priority, Age-Related Eye Diseases and Conditions, and Low Vision. Each module is designed for ECPs giving presentations to local groups, and materials include Power Point presentations, speaker’s guides, and handouts, as well as promotional announcements. Even social media messages are included, in the form of easy-to-post ecards and text messages. For more information about the toolkit, visit the NEHEP website: nei.nih.gov/nehep/programs/visionandaging. |
| READY RESOURCES |
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There are a number of resources available to both consumers and caregivers about vision loss. Here are just a few. ■ TWO-PART PROGRAM. Geared toward patients experiencing the challenges of living with low vision, the NEI has created both a booklet, “Living with Low Vision: What You Should Know,” and a companion DVD, “Living with Low Vision: Stories of Hope and Independence.” (nei.nih.gov/lowvision) ■ RISK ASSESSMENT. The Transitions Healthy Sight for Life Fund website includes an innovative healthy sight risk assessment. According to Transitions, the site “provides eye health education and resources in both English and Spanish. The healthy sight risk assessment [tool] allows users to enter their age and ethnicity to learn more about their risks.” (healthysightforlife.org) ■ NEW WEBSITE. In February, The Vision Council launched an online resource for people with vision impairment and their caregivers, as well as consumers looking for more information about low vision. (whatislowvision.org) |
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