2026 Starts Here: Glaucoma Awareness Month & Vision Support Tools

January 2026

Dear NEHEP Partners,

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2026, we’re excited to share fresh opportunities to support your efforts in promoting eye health.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and this edition of the Eye Health Connection newsletter is packed with tools, resources, and events to help you raise awareness in your communities.

Looking ahead, February brings Low Vision Awareness Month. To help you prepare, we’re spotlighting vision rehabilitation resources — essential for empowering people with visual impairments to live safely and independently.

And mark your calendars: Healthy Vision Month (HVM) 2026 is coming in May! If you’d like to partner with NEI for HVM, we’d love to collaborate. Email us at eyehealthmatters@nei.nih.gov to get involved and spread the word.

Thank you for your continued commitment to advancing eye health. Here’s to a successful and impactful start to 2026!

Best regards,

Kathryn DeMott

Acting Director, National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)

National Eye Institute

Help Raise Awareness — Resources for Glaucoma Awareness Month

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss in the U.S. Help raise awareness this January by exploring our Glaucoma Awareness Month toolkit. Inside, you’ll find ready-to-use fact sheets, videos, newsletter copy, and social media content to make it easy to share important information about glaucoma and protect your community’s eye health.

Eye doctor looking at patient's eye through a microscope.

Explore NEI's resources

Learn about the contest

Encourage U.S. High School Students to Enter Our Video Contest

Do you know a U.S. high school student who’s passionate about science? Are they always asking “why,” experimenting, or exploring how things work? Encourage them to submit a video in NEI’s Eye on the Future Teen Video Contest, showcasing science in their world, in action, or in their future, for a chance to win a cash prize and have their ideas recognized. The contest opens on January 12th!

Empowering Lives Through Vision Rehabilitation

February is Low Vision Awareness Month. Millions of people in the U.S. live with visual impairments that can’t be corrected with standard treatments.

The good news: vision rehabilitation services can help individuals make the most of their remaining vision, maintain independence, and stay engaged in the activities they love.

Find materials

A person carrying a child on his shoulders

New Public Service Campaign Encourages Eye Exams to Save Sight

BrightFocus Foundation’s NEW national public service announcements in English and Spanish raise awareness of eye exams to detect early signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma, leading causes of irreversible blindness in the U.S. Because these conditions often progress silently without symptoms or pain, early detection is key to preventing permanent vision loss. The PSAs encourage viewers to visit StopAMD.org and StopGlaucoma.org to learn more.

Discover BrightFocus’ National Glaucoma Research

A couple of young boys holding balls. This is a simulation of how a person with glaucoma might see.

Living with Glaucoma: Resources & Stories

APH ConnectCenter’s guide offers easy-to-digest info on glaucoma risks, treatment, vision changes, and accessing low vision or support services.

Don’t miss Phil Shanholtzer’s story, “Living With Glaucoma: My Journey with Vision Loss and Enucleation” as he shares how he adapted to life with glaucoma.

Explore the guide

Cover of IJCAHPO’s free “Glaucoma Tips for Techs” resource

Expert Tips from Glaucoma Specialists

Five glaucoma specialists share their top tips for ophthalmic techs to support high-quality patient care. Learn the key considerations for taking patient history, conducting examinations, and discussing medications with glaucoma patients. Check out the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology's (IJCAHPO) FREE resource today!

Access the FREE resource

A doctor consulting with a pregnant woman in a clinical setting.

Managing Glaucoma During Pregnancy

In this IJCAHPO webinar, Dr. Eydie Miller-Ellis from Scheie Eye Institute discusses the challenges of managing glaucoma during pregnancy, including the risks of therapy on the developing fetus. She explains how treatment should be adjusted to address concerns in each trimester and the perinatal period.

Watch the free webinar

Calendar of Events

Explore Careers in Eye and Vision Science at the ARVO Advance Conference

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is hosting its annual virtual Advance Conference on February 11-12. This virtual conference equips eye and vision scientists with the tools to build resilient careers amid funding fluctuations, institutional transitions and evolving funding priorities.

Learn more and register here

Other Events and Resources

January 14: BrightFocus is hosting a live Glaucoma Chat, offering expert insights and answering important questions about glaucoma.

January 30: The American Academy of Optometry's Lectures and Workshops Committee invites you to participate in the educational program at Academy 2026 in Anaheim, CA. The 2026 lectures and workshops submission window closes January 30.

Resource: The American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeCare America ^® program provides eligible individuals with access to medical eye exams, often at no cost. As the program celebrates its 40th year, it has expanded access by lowering its age requirement—now offering no-cost medical eye exams to those 18 and older who are most in need. Learn more, see if you or a loved one qualifies, or sign up to be an ambassador.

Resource: The IJCAHPO offers a free Focus on the Patient guidebook that explores functional vision loss and provides guidance on how to discuss vision loss with patients.

Resource(s): Prevent Blindness has created two educational videos to raise awareness about glaucoma and its impact:

Resource(s): Hadley understands that living with glaucoma calls for daily adjustments. These free resources can help you manage more effectively at any stage of vision loss:

Living with Glaucoma is a short online workshop that provides tips on how to cope and adjust to make everyday tasks easier, and one woman’s story of success.
Everyday Choices That Can Influence the Course of Eye Disease is a podcast episode with ophthalmologist Dr. Sophie Bakri, who describes how daily actions can positively affect the progression of glaucoma and more.
“It gave me a sense of meaning” is a short audio podcast with Ron, whose glaucoma made it too difficult to continue the volunteer work he loved—until he found a new way.
"It's Not Often We Encounter an Angel": A short podcast where Bill shares how a chance encounter transformed his perspective on vision loss.
Low Vision Series: Workshops offering practical advice on improving lighting, increasing contrast, and making home adjustments for those with visual impairments.
Glaucoma Questions, Concerns, and Answers is a podcast conversation with glaucoma specialist Dr. Jullia Rosdahl, answering questions about glaucoma, its risk factors, and how to treat it.
A Guide to Vision Rehab: A podcast episode exploring eligibility for vision rehabilitation services, key differences between medical and social service models, and how to locate resources in each state.
The Donahoe Center for Support offers a live connection to compassionate assistance, a supportive community, and trusted resources at 800-323-4238 or info@hadleyhelps.org.

The Eye Health Connection is a newsletter developed with the input of NEHEP Partners and shared with the community of NEHEP’s 60+ partner organizations. The links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only, they do not constitute an endorsement by the National Eye Institute or its employees.

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