Lighthouse Internatonal Publishes Updated Version Of Its Popular Publication 'All About Low Vision: A Guide To The Major Causes Of Vision Loss And How To Find Help'
Part of a national public education campaign, the publication includes simulations of how the world looks to people with macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye diseases
May 22, 2007 - New York, NY - Lighthouse International, the 102 year old pioneer providing vision health care for people with vision loss, announces its newly revised publication All about Low Vision: A Guide to the Major Causes of Vision Loss and How to Find Help.
Written by Eleanor E. Faye, MD, Lighthouse Medical Director, and Karen Seidman, MPA, Director of Education and International Programs, the informative brochure provides a concise summary of the most common eye conditions, low vision rehabilitation services and devices. It includes a fold-out poster with simulations of how the world appears to people with macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions.
The popular brochure (which is free) is being distributed to thousands of libraries, ophthalmologists and optometrists and educational and health institutions nationwide as part of Lighthouse International's public education campaign.
According to Dr Tara Cortes, President and CEO of Lighthouse International, "We seek to educate Americans about eye diseases and the vision loss epidemic. As baby boomers age and more Americans have diabetes, we expect the number of people who have vision loss to increase dramatically. We are leading the response to this national epidemic. "According to a Lighthouse International survey in the US, 16.5 million people age 45+ self-report some form of vision impairment even when wearing glasses or contacts (one in six, or 17%). By 2010, this figure will grow to 20 million.
For those people who are not in the greater New York area directly served by Lighthouse experts, you can get help by calling 1-800-829-0500 or visit our website www.lighthouse.org and click on "Help Near You" which provides information about vision specialists nationwide.
Lighthouse International offers a comprehensive array of low vision and vision rehabilitation services, which help people with irreversible vision loss gain skills and confidence to be independent, safe and productive. These programs and services include counseling, devices and training to maximize their remaining vision, and training on how to travel safely and take care of their homes.
The publication is made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from OS Eyetech and Pfizer Ophthalmics.
To view the brochure online visit www.lighthouse.org
For a print color copy contact Janet Weinstein at (212) 821-9555 or e-mail jweinstein@lighthouse.org
Further Information: Leslie Gottlieb (212) 821-9760