World Blindness Awareness Month

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. –Helen Keller, blind and deaf author, activist and lecturer

We live in a world that is saturated with visual stimuli: traffic lights, billboards, gestured salutations, the changing seasons etc. But for some of us, the world is seen as a blur or is completely covered by a large black and opaque veil.

October 9 is World Sight Day and the whole month of October is dedicated to World Blindness Awareness Month. To be visually impaired (having very weak vision) or blind, can be a taxing existence without the proper support. Here are some facts (2005):

• "More than two-thirds of visually impaired adults in the United States are over 65 years of age.
• Nearly 20.5 million Americans age 6 and older are afflicted with cataracts, the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Cataract, a curable disease, is the most common cause of vision loss in the United States.
• The prevalence of blindness increases rapidly in later years, particularly after age 75.
• The number of Americans with age-related eye disease is expected to double within the next three decades unless something is done to reverse the trend.
• Most visual impairment is caused by disease and malnutrition."

Organizations like EyeCare America, the public service association of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, encourage people to call their toll free line to see if they are eligible to receive a free eye exam and up to one year of complimentary eye care. Vision 2020 is implementing a global initiative to promote healthy eyes.

You or your company can help by encouraging your employees or coworkers to visit their ophthalmologist or distributing newsletters and other resources about eye care, providing a list some local eye doctors. Disseminate information about organizations that are helping those with eye problems nationally and internationally. Help to build awareness of visual impairment and blindness; this would be a great time to promote your fundraiser or to volunteer at your favorite eye-health foundation!