Category: Educational

Like so many aspects of our health, it’s common to develop problems with vision as we get older. Unfortunately, many older people also have less access to insurance and therefore less access to vision care. A program called EyeCare America which is sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology is designed to help by offering free eye exams to seniors who don’t have insurance. (continue reading…)

Vision Australia is sending its policies directly to Federal election candidates and asking them to demonstrate their commitment to enabling people who are blind or have low vision to live the lives they choose.

Chief Executive Officer Gerard Menses said that it was vital to ensure the voices of more than 300,000 Australians who are blind or have low vision are heard.

“The number of people who are blind or have low vision in Australia is set to double to 600,000 by the year 2020,” said Mr Menses. (continue reading…)

For the first time, EPA is able to include data on cataract risk by gender and skin type in the report.

Washington, D.C. – infoZine – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency marked the beginning of Cataract Awareness Month by announcing a new peer-reviewed report predicting that more than 22 million additional cataract cases will be avoided for Americans born between 1985 and 2100 due to the Montreal Protocol. The environmental treaty, signed by 196 countries, was designed to reduce and eventually eliminate ozone depleting substances. Too much UV radiation not only increases the risk for skin cancer, but also increases the risk for cataracts — a clouding of the eye’s lens that affects more than 20 million Americans age 40 and older. (continue reading…)

Are you worried that you might lose vision from macular degeneration?

Because vision loss can be irreversible, detecting early macular degeneration is essential to proper treatment!

Macular degeneration is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness among elderly people. Detecting early macular degeneration can be difficult, since most studies, including the National Eye Institute’s Age Related Disease Study, have looked primarily at macular degeneration that is of medium severity or worse. Early macular degeneration, while predominantly an issue of senior eye health, can be seen in younger individuals. Detecting early macular degeneration may disclose the following subtle examination findings: (continue reading…)

The general perception is that a visually impaired or blind person will not be able to get around alone, but it is precisely this which the National Commission for Disabled Persons (KNPD) is endeavouring to change.

It is doing so by holding a course for those interested in becoming mobility and orientation training instructors. This course, although it does not count as a qualification in itself, offers people a glimpse into what the job involves.

This is a preparatory course which aims to give those interested in becoming qualified instructors a clear idea of what the work involves, according to the manager of the project’s implementation, Alison Zammit.

This idea stemmed from the fact that currently no local mobility and orientation services exist, so this way those following the course can decide whether they are interested in furthering their studies. Although no qualification yet exists, students can opt to study abroad. (continue reading…)

Enhanced Vision, the leading developer of low vision devices, is having a monthly drawing on their website for a chance to win PEBBLE! Pebble’s small lightweight design makes it the perfect companion whether you’re travelling or at home. Easily read labels, prescriptions, price tags, menus, bus schedules and so much more with this ultra-portable video magnifier. (continue reading…)

MIAMI (AFP) – A 60-year-old US grandmother, blind for nearly a decade, has recovered her sight after surgeons implanted a tooth in her eye as a base to hold a tiny plastic lens, her doctors said Wednesday. (continue reading…)

A surprising number of kids fail their eye exams and that could be a sign of serious problems. Dr. Bruce Rosenthal explains the warning signs and also suggest solutions for your children.

He also promotes Enhanced Vision’s Amigo as a great solution for your children’s low vision and how the device can help in the classroom.

Please click this link to view the clip:  http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=91151@wcbs.dayport.com&cid=4

The Canadian Transportation Agency has released two Implementation Guides to help Canadian air carriers better serve travellers who are blind or have a visual impairment.

The guides were drafted to help carriers meet two provisions in the voluntary Code of Practice: Aircraft Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities. These provisions are designed to ensure that passengers with disabilities who use service dogs, such as those who have visual, hearing or mobility impairments, can travel safely with their animals and can more independently locate their seat in the cabin of an aircraft.

“The Agency has a responsibility to foster an air transportation system to meet the needs of all Canadians,” said Geoff Hare, Chair and CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency. “We feel that these implementation guides will go a long way in helping air carriers meet the needs of passengers who are blind or have a visual impairment and other passengers with disabilities who use service dogs.”

In developing the two new Implementation Guides, the Agency consulted Canadian air carriers, professional service dog training institutions, national organizations of the blind, and the Agency’s Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Carriers have until December 1, 2009 to ensure sufficient space for service dogs, and until March 31, 2010 to implement policies for tactile row markers.

The Guides, and the Code they help to implement, are available on the Agency’s Web site at http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/doc.php?sid=1159&lang=eng.

Source for complete article: http://thegovmonitor.com/civil_society_and_democratic_renewal/canadian-transportation-agency-release-guides-to-airlines-to-better-serve-blind-or-visually-impaired-travellers-3312.html

CHICAGO—An antibiotic widely used in Africa to treat eyesight-robbing infections seems to help prevent Ethiopian children from dying of other diseases. A study in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association suggests an unintended benefit from efforts to wipe out trachoma, the world’s leading preventable cause of blindness.

The World Health Organization has set 2020 as the target for eliminating trachoma. The United States has been free of the disease since the 1970s, but it persists in 48 countries. In Ethiopia, a hotbed, 40 percent of children under 10 show signs of active trachoma.