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We share stories chased with the truth.
To advocate, educate, inspire both elder and youth.
There’s power in all eye stories; ASPECT program is proof.
Changing minds, systems, and policies by storytelling is what we do.
So don’t hesitate to reach out to the Prevent Blindness crew!
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When we say ASPECT…you say ADVOCACY!
ASPECT!
ADVOCACY!
ASPECT!
ADVOCACY
In every marching band there is a rhythm that keeps everyone moving forward. That rhythm is purpose.
We march for access.
We march for inclusion.
We march for the millions of Americans living with blindness and low vision.
Every step we take together pushes the movement forward.
So this month we ask one powerful question:
Why do YOU march?
| Lights, Camera, Advocacy! | | |
THE DRUMBEAT OF CHANGE: Mr. Larry Johnson
A voice of impact.
A leader of purpose.
A champion for blind seniors.
Sometimes advocacy doesn’t begin with a speech.
It begins with a beat.
| | Picture Description: The generational leader, Mr. Larry with slicked-back white hair, wears dark sunglasses and rests his chin on his hand smiling thoughtfully against a soft, blurred background. | | |
Before the band moves… someone has to set the tempo. At 92 years old and totally blind, Mr. Larry lives independently cooking his meals, managing his home, paying bills, and reading what mail he can. He considers himself fortunate. But he also knows millions of older Americans with vision loss are not receiving the services they need.
Many seniors lose the ability to drive, read their mail, or safely cook in their own homes. Too often, fear, isolation, and depression follow vision loss. Even more alarming, less than five percent of older Americans who experience vision loss receive the rehabilitation services they need.
That reality fuels his advocacy.
Through meetings, Zoom calls, email discussions, and conversations with legislators and agency leaders, he speaks up for older Americans with vision loss. His persistence helped secure over $9 million in funding from the Texas Legislature to strengthen services for older individuals who are blind.
Inspired by a mother who once advocated for him, he now advocates for others because, as he says, “I can, and because I’m one of them.”
And with every beat of that drum, his advocacy carries far beyond one voice.
Each beat sends a message to lawmakers, communities, and families:
Older Americans with vision loss deserve support, dignity, and the chance to thrive.
Keep the beat alive,
And make sure no blind senior is left behind.
Advocacy has no age limit, and leadership like Mr. Larry is timeless!
Today, we don’t just honor a drum major. We honor a force.
An advocate who didn’t back down.
A legacy that refuses to slow down.
Mr. Larry, we see you.
Not just for what you’ve done,
But for what you continue to do.
Follow the beat and tap into wisdom that leads the way.
Larry’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/YDFnY96Ae9I?si=_niz-r31Xu97t0hy
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Nominate an ASPECT advocate!
Drumline… sound off!
Do you know an ASPECT Alumnus who is
playing the drum of advocacy
and keeping the rhythm alive? We want to spotlight their impact,
honor their voice,
and share their story with the world.
Help us amplify the sound of advocacy.
Nominate an ASPECT advocate today.
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Shoutout to Julie Mo!
Fall in line and step to the rhythm with the Grow with Jo app!
Trumpets up… let’s move! The time is now to spring into fitness and having FUN while we do it. Whether you’re power walking in your living room or just getting started.
No worries, these workouts feel more like a dance party than a chore.One step at a time. One beat at a time. So lace up, step out, and stay in formation.
Tell a friend, because we’re stronger when we march together.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/growwithjo-home-workouts/id6477621228
| | The Conductor’s Baton of VISION: Sara Everett Brown Leads the Movement | | Picture Description: A confident woman with waves of blonde hair over her shoulders, moving with rhythm and motion. Dressed in a sleek black top, she stands polished and powerful, with a confident smile and steady presence. | | |
The conductor’s baton lifts, and with one precise motion, the movement comes alive. With vision and purpose, she turns advocacy into harmony on a national stage.
Impact happens when that sound becomes a signal. A signal that calls the drums to rise; the horns to echo; and the entire band to move as one. That’s called harmony. When the call for vision, advocacy, change is sounded in Washington, Sara is one voice that knows how to turn that sound into a movement.
For nearly two decades, Sara, the Senior Director of Government Affairs at Prevent Blindness, has helped guide that movement in Washington, DC.
In October 2018, a meeting with a Senate health policy aide sparked an idea: create federal legislation focused on children’s vision. With the support of colleagues and Congressional aides, she drafted the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act, introduced on May 14, 2024.
Like a marching band building momentum, advocacy requires many instruments leaders, partners, and voices working together.
Sara’s instrument may be the conductor’s baton bringing vision, voices, and strategy into alignment, but the movement is the entire band.
And when she raises that baton for children’s vision,
policies begin to move,
systems begin to shift,
and futures begin to change.
This isn’t just advocacy, it’s coordination, collaboration,
and a call the nation can no longer ignore.
The spotlight is shining. The band is in position.
Now it’s time for you to make a decision.
Will you join the mission?
Don’t sit on the sidelines while we make history.
Join Prevent Blindness advocacy alerts,
and march with us into victory.
https://advocacy.preventblindness.org/advocacy-alerts-sign-up/
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DOUBLE VISION PODCAST represents the violin, rich in emotion and layered in truth.
This is where every note carries lived experience and every story lingers long after it’s heard.
Jeanetta Price and Julie Grutzmacher from the ASPECT Program, engaged in powerful conversation explores the tension between statistics and human stories and what it truly takes to shift public perception.
Just like the color guard brings the music to life through motion and visual storytelling, this dialogue transforms numbers into narratives that people can see, feel, and remember.
We close with a spoken word piece from Janetta that reminds us that our voice is not optional, it’s essential.
Listen and feel every string, because every note tells our story.
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The piano keys remind us that healing is a shared composition, and every note deserves to be heard.
The melody of healing starts here, and our mental health series is now live!
This series offers practical tools and real conversations to support individuals navigating vision loss and mental wellness from both professional and personal perspectives.
When we all play our part, healing becomes the keys that unlock the power of our story.
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FOCUS ON EYE HEALTH PODCAST: THE PERCUSSION GROOVE
The percussion is the heartbeat of the band by way of setting the tempo, building momentum, and moving the entire formation forward.
The rhythm is strong, the message is clear, and the movement is in motion.
This is the pulse of prevention where education meets real conversation and awareness turns into action.
Every episode hits with purpose.
So tap in, stay in step, and move with the mission.
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VISION MONOLOGUES: THE TROMBONE OF THE MOVEMENT
The trombone doesn’t just play, it projects.
With every slide, it stretches the sound just like every story stretches perspective.
The smooth warm sound, yet bold and brassy, producing a deep, rich, and powerful tone. Each monologue takes you on a journey through laughter and tears, from victim to victorious, carrying many stories within one voice that every person in the room finds a piece of themselves on that stage.
The trombone sounds like unity in our community with one powerful sound.
Did I mention?
One night only so be in the room. Don’t delay, please grab your tickets today.
Register: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=fa598580-2640-4199-95f8-ff739290bc15&envId=p-wvJWar1pp06dEc95mZCy3Q&zone=usa
| | ASPECT Band Auditions Now Open | | |
Would you like to join the ASPECT Band?
It’s simple.
All you have to do is use your voice as an instrument and play to the rhythm of advocacy by sharing your eye and ally story.
Every story is a note.
Every voice is a beat.
And together, we create a powerful movement for vision, awareness, and change.
So grab your spot in the band…
The instruments of advocacy are already playing.
The march has already begun.
And the ASPECT Band auditions are now open.
https://preventblindness.org/apply-to-join-the-aspect-program/
Now the only question left is…
When the rhythm of advocacy calls your name,
Will your voice rise and join the band?
| | The ASPECT program is generously supported by Amgen, Genentech, Novartis, Astellas, Kyowa Kirin, Mallinckrodt, Regeneron, Alexion, Apellis, Alkeus, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Johnson & Johnson, Nanoscope Therapeutics, Spark Therapeutics, and Viridian. | | Support the Sight-Saving Work of Prevent Blindness | | | | |
