COLUMBUS – Prevent Blindness Ohio and Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s leading volunteer nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight, celebrated the success of the second annual “Eyes on Capitol Hill” campaign, held in Washington, DC, last week. The national program was developed in an effort to allow Americans to meet with our nation’s leaders to discuss their vision challenges and to educate and empower the participants to become advocates in their own state.
Prevent Blindness Ohio’s Eyes on Capitol Hill delegates tour the U.S. Capitol Building with Senator Sherrod Brown’s Legislative Aid, Jayson Braude. Pictured from left to right are John and Jeri Pendergest (Hamilton), Jennifer Stanke (Grove City), Karen Levin (Dayton), Laura and Kylie Glass (Alliance), Teresa and Matt Law (Vincent), Jayson Braude, Carl Seletz (Columbus), Karla Miller (Baltimore), and Richard Bunner (Zanesville). Eyes on Capitol Hill was developed by Prevent Blindness America, with support from Pfizer, Inc. to allow Americans to meet with our nation’s leaders to discuss their vision challenges and to educate and empower the participants to become advocates in their own state.
“We would like to sincerely thank all of our Ohio delegates who enthusiastically shared their stories with us and our government leaders,” said Sherill K. Williams, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. “We would also like to thank Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich and Representatives Pat Tiberi, John Boehner, Deborah Pryce, Ralph Regula, Charlie Wilson, Mike Turner and Zach Space for hosting visits with our advocates and making the event possible.”
Ohio had a delegation of 12 participants, including:
Laura and Kylie Glass, Alliance
Karla Miller, Baltimore
Lauren Abel, Cincinnati
Carl Seletz, Columbus
Karen Levin, Dayton
John and Jeri Pendergest, Hamilton
Jennifer Stanke, Grove City
Matt and Teresa Law, Vincent
Richard Bunner, Zanesville
More than 80 participants were selected from a nationwide search of those who have been affected by vision loss through eye disease or traumatic injuries.
“Vision loss isn’t just something that happens to others, it’s happening to our friends, neighbors, family and even ourselves,” said Williams. “We want to continue educating Congress on the positive impact that vision loss prevention programs can not only have on patients, but our state and our national healthcare system.”
Half of all blindness is preventable and the number of blind and visually impaired is expected to double by the year 2030 if nothing is done to address the problem. Furthermore, it is estimated that the economic impact of visual disorders and disabilities costs approximately $68 billion annually.
Ohio advocates urged support for the Centers for Disease Control’s National Vision Screening and Education Program which partners with Prevent Blindness America to raise awareness about potentially blinding eye diseases, identify individuals at risk for vision loss and assure that appropriate treatment is received.
Advocates also sought support for an appropriation to provide for screening, detection and early treatment of vision problems that would otherwise result in delayed learning and education in children and H.R. 507, the Vision Care Act for Kids, which establishes a fund to assist needy families in obtaining professional eye care for their children.
Matt Law, delegate from Vincent, Ohio said “Eyes on Capitol Hill has hooked me. Just days after my eye accident, I was talking about using my experience to help make changes so someone else might avoid what I was dealing with. I had no idea at the time how to go about doing this. Prevent Blindness Ohio has opened the door.”
Prevent Blindness Ohio is already looking forward to next year’s “Eyes on Capitol Hill” campaign and hopes to expand the number of patient advocates and raise awareness among Ohio’s federal lawmakers about the importance and effectiveness of vision programs.
For more information on Eyes on Capitol Hill or on how you can contact your state representative to ask for their support on vision-related issues, please visit www.pbohio.org or call 800-301-2020.
Eyes on Capitol Hill Delegates' Stories - In Their Own Words
Prevent Blindness Ohio, founded in 1957, is Ohio’s leading volunteer, nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight. It serves all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 600,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. Prevent Blindness Ohio is an affiliate of Prevent Blindness America, the country’s second-oldest national voluntary health organization. For more information or to make a contribution, visit our website at www.pbohio.org or call 800-301-2020.
