Check out new vision rehabilitation resources to support people with a visual impairment

March 2023

Dear NEHEP Partners,

Thanks to all our partners for helping us share resources and promote our February national health observances: Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month and Low Vision Awareness Month. This month, we’re excited to share new ways to keep learning and spreading the word about both AMD and the benefits of vision rehabilitation for people with a visual impairment.

Also, be sure to mark your calendars: Healthy Vision Month (HVM) is coming up in May 2023! We hope you’ll join us in using new Spanish-language resources to raise awareness about steps parents and caregivers can take to protect their whole family’s eye health — from children to parents, grandparents, and beyond. If you’re interested in partnering with NEI for HVM 2023, please email devina.fan@nih.gov.

Best,

Devina Kuo Fan, M.P.H.

Director, National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)

National Eye Institute

Support Black/African American communities to focus on eye health

We’re committed to advancing health equity — and part of that is making sure we offer resources that resonate with people of all backgrounds and identities. We’re excited to share our Eye Health, My Health campaign, which has resources we created to support Black/African American people in prioritizing their eye health as an important part of overall health.

Explore new resources

Learn about vision rehabilitation services

We’ve launched 2 new webpages about vision rehabilitation services with key resources from NEHEP partners and tips for starting the conversation. Share our webpage for people with a visual impairment to help people in your community access services they need. And explore our webpage for professionals to build your network of local service providers.

Check out our webpage for professionals

Share this new course on AMD with your networks

The International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) has created a course titled, “Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A New Era.” This course explores available and future therapeutic concepts to treat AMD.

Get the link to share

Improve employment accessibility for people with a visual impairment

The National Technical Assistance Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NTAC) offers training and technical assistance to help improve employment outcomes for people with a visual impairment. Whether you’re a manager, a service provider, or a person with a visual impairment, NTAC has free resources and helpful information for you.

Access employment resources

Calendar of Events

Get up to date on vision rehabilitation

Attend the upcoming Envision Conference West 2023 to engage with the latest ideas and advancements in vision rehabilitation research, practice, and technology. Mark your calendars and plan to attend in person March 30 to April 1, 2023 in San Antonio, TX!

Other Events and Resources

April 23–27: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) will hold its 2023 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA. Register now to engage with the latest eye and vision research findings.

Resource: Hadley’s workshop series Living with Macular Degeneration has tips and support to help people with macular degeneration adjust to vision loss.

Resource: Prevent Blindness’ Living Well with Low Vision website provides free resources for people with a visual impairment and the caregivers and health professionals who support them.

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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