Celebrate Healthy Aging Month and Hispanic Heritage Month

National Eye Institute Eye Health Connection banner featuring a smiling adult wearing glasses, a patient getting eye care from an eye care provider, and an optician holding up an adjustable trial frame.

September 2023

Dear NEHEP Partners,

September is Healthy Aging Month and the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Our September newsletter features news, events, and resources centered on Hispanic populations, people who are aging, or both.

As the largest public funder of biomedical and behavioral research in the world, it’s important that NIH’s mission statement accurately reflects NIH’s goal of turning scientific discoveries into better health for all. For this reason, NIH is seeking input on a proposed update to the NIH mission statement. Two years ago, many of you provided valuable input on updating the NEI mission statement. So we invite you again to share your feedback on NIH’s proposed revised mission statement on the submission website by November 24, 2023. Thank you!

Best,

Devina Kuo Fan, M.P.H.

Director, National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)

National Eye Institute

Help us spread the word about English and Spanish vision rehabilitation videos

NEI has launched an exciting new series of English and Spanish videos about vision rehabilitation. The videos answer questions like, “Are vision rehabilitation services right for me?” You can help us spread the word by sharing the videos on your social media!

Explore more about vision rehabilitation

An older patient and doctor shaking hands with the patient’s partner looking on. All are smiling.

Raise awareness of strategies for living a fulfilling life with vision loss

The National Research and Training Center at Mississippi State University published a series, available in English and Spanish, on how to live a safe and fulfilling life with vision loss. The Lessons for Living with Vision Loss series comes in text and audio formats and features tips and tricks from professionals trained in rehabilitation.

Discover "Lessons for Living with Vision Loss"

A diverse group of people smiling at the camera.

Help support underserved communities by promoting the NIH Build UP Trust Challenge

The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Build UP Trust Challenge is looking for promising strategies that increase research participation and improve the adoption of medical care by building trust and engagement in historically underserved communities. Ten finalists will get up to $45k each – and the opportunity to win up to four $200k prizes.

Learn more about the challenge

An older Hispanic/Latino couple wearing glasses and posing with their arms around each other.

Increase awareness of blindness and low vision in older Hispanic populations

VisionServe Alliance, in collaboration with the Aging and Vision Loss National Coalition and Ohio State University College of Optometry, published an article highlighting the rate of blindness and low vision among people age 65 and older. To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the article shares specific insights on Hispanic communities.

Check out the article

Calendar of Events

A photo of a smiling person watching a webinar on a tablet and taking notes. Text reads: “Save the date: Envision Virtual Fall Conference September 29-30, 2023, via livestream webinar.”

Plug into the latest news on vision rehabilitation alongside other professionals

Interested in networking with low vision professionals, researchers, and other industry leaders? Envision, Inc. is hosting its virtual fall conference September 29–30. Register by September 30 to learn about advances to close practice gaps, find out about tech developments, network, and earn up to 16 hours of continuing education credits.

Visit the conference website

Other Events and Resources

September 27–30: The Vision Council will host Vision Expo West 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Participants can look forward to exploring an exciting new show floor, learning about innovations in vision care, attending brand new educational sessions, and more.

October 13: The next National Advisory Eye Council meeting will be available to watch live.

November 3–5: The International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology’s (IJCAHPO) 2023 Annual Continuing Educational Program offers three full days of education and skills training, including a learning lab on strategies for effectively communicating with Spanish-speaking patients. You can earn up to 21 continuing education credits by attending.

Resource: The National Council on Aging’s article “Living Well with Blindness, Low Vision, and Vision Impairment” describes low vision, explains tests to assess it, and provides strategies and further reading for effectively living with vision loss.

Resource: The National Institute on Aging has English and Spanish aging and eye health guides with ways to protect your vision, tips for healthy eyesight at any age, and more.

Resource: Hadley’s popular cooking workshops are available in English and Spanish, covering topics like the basics of kitchen safety, pouring liquids, and more.

Resource: In celebration of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new digital toolkit. It includes shareable graphics and sample social media posts to help partners advocate for inclusion and accessibility in health care settings.

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.

Connect with NEI on Social Media