Virtual Event
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Vision Policy Across the Lifespan
May 19 @ 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Virtual Event
- EDT
As the first webinar of the 2026 Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Webinar Series, this roundtable discussion will explore how partnerships can advance key policy opportunities impacting eye care across the lifespan, including children’s vision and the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act (EDVI), chronic disease and access issues in working-age adults, and healthy aging.
The last thirty minutes of this webinar will provide attendees with the opportunity to have informal conversations with individual panelists through breakout sessions accessible via a link that will be provided during the webinar.
Prevent Blindness Policy resources:
Prevent Blindness is currently advocating for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to withdraw the exclusion of low vision devices from Medicare coverage, which creates unnecessary barriers for people with vision loss and can contribute to falls, medication errors, social isolation, and greater dependence on caregivers. Withdrawing this policy would allow for coverage of low vision aids and devices under the Medicare program. We urge you to sign on in support of this policy effort through the Prevent Blindness Legislative Action Center.
Sign up to receive advocacy alerts from Prevent Blindness
Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children (EDVI) Act
Prevent Blindness Legislative Action Center
Sign up for Prevent Blindness News
Additional Resources:
Vision Health Advocacy Coalition (VHAC)
Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition
American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Advocacy
American Public Health Association (APHA) Vision Care Section
Moderator and Presenter Bios
Leela Baggett, Esq.
Coordinator
Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition
Leela Baggett is a Principal at Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, where she advises healthcare providers, practitioners, and device manufacturers on a wide range of regulatory, litigation, and legislative matters. She also serves as Coordinator of the ITEM Coalition’s Low Vision Subgroup, a national consumer- and clinician-led coalition focused on improving access to and Medicare coverage of assistive technologies for individuals with blindness and low vision.
Josie Cooper
Executive Director
Alliance for Patient Access
Josie Cooper is executive director of the Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA), where she has spent the past six years leading the organization’s efforts to advance timely, affordable access to care. Under her leadership, AfPA has significantly expanded its footprint, growing a national network of clinician working groups and advocacy coalitions that span more than a dozen disease areas and engage stakeholders at both the state and federal level.
Ms. Cooper oversees AfPA’s advocacy on policies that impact patient access to care, from utilization management reform and insurance cost-sharing practices to policies shaping the future of medical innovation. Additionally, Ms. Cooper serves as an advisor to the Vision Health Advocacy Coalition, which advocates for patient-centered vision health policy.
Prior to leading AfPA, Ms. Cooper worked in grassroots mobilization and public affairs at the state and national level, including on presidential, Senate, and congressional campaigns. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband Sam and their son Ford.
Scott Haber, MPA
Director, Public Health Advocacy
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Scott Haber is the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Director of Public Health Advocacy. He leads the development of Academy policy positions on issues relating to public health and implements federal legislative and regulatory strategies to advance Academy priorities. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University and a Master of Public Administration from American University.
Sara Everett Brown, MPA
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Prevent Blindness
Sara Everett Brown is the Senior Director of Government Affairs at Prevent Blindness. Since joining Prevent Blindness in 2017, Sara has grown the organization’s presence on Capitol Hill, with the Administration, and amongst stakeholder groups in pursuit of Prevent Blindness’s policy goals, including the bipartisan Early Detection of Vision Impairments (EDVI) for Children Act, strengthening federal investments in vision and eye health programs, and improving access and coverage policies for eye health patients. Sara has nearly two decades of policy experience in Washington, having begun her career as a legislative and staff aide with the U.S. Senate. A Nebraska native, she holds degrees in English and Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Kearney and a master’s degree in public administration from Walden University.
M. Araba Otoo, OD, MPH, FAAO
Chair, American Public Health Association Vision Care Section
CEO, Cherish Eyesight & Vision Inc.
Dr. Araba Otoo is an optometrist and public health professional dedicated to advancing health equity through vision care. She has experience working across the VA system, private practice, and Indian Health Services, bringing a community-centered approach to improving access to eye care.
Dr. Otoo earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from The Ohio State University College of Optometry and holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work focuses on integrating public health principles into optometric practice to improve visual health literacy and expand access to care.
She is the founder and CEO of Cherish Eyesight and Vision Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to reducing disparities in vision care through education and community engagement. Through this work, she has collaborated with organizations such as the National Keratoconus Foundation, the World Council of Optometry, and Seva to advance local and global eye health initiatives. Dr. Otoo currently serves as Chair of the American Public Health Association Vision Care Section, where she leads efforts to elevate the role of vision care within the broader public health agenda.
