Home » Prevent Blindness

Prevent Blindness

Submitted by admin on 09/02/14

Prevent Blindness fulfills its mission of the prevention of vision loss through focused attention on its core public health competencies of early detection, patient support, systems enhancement, public policy, research, public awareness, and health education. The organization’s website—preventblindness.org—serves as its comprehensive source of information on eye health and safety; and the Prevent Blindness Vision Health Resource Center provides an avenue for the public to receive individualized attention through a toll-free phone number (800-331-2020) or by submitting questions via the website. Depending on the needs of the individual, Prevent Blindness distributes educational information and fact sheets on a variety of vision and eye health-related concerns.

Prevent Blindness has developed two online resources to help people who are experiencing vision loss or have lost their vision.

1. Living Well With Low Vision —http://lowvision.preventblindness.org—is designed to educate people about loss of vision and to meet the daily challenges resulting from it. The website hopes to provide practical ways for people to improve the quality of their daily lives and relieve the emotional trauma that often accompanies low vision.

2. GuideMe app —http://guideme.preventblindness.org—was designed for people who have been diagnosed with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). GuideMe works by asking questions about the person and the AMD diagnosis. Based on the answers, it will customize a guide with helpful information, tips, resources, and suggested steps to take to be proactive about protecting vision. GuideMe is not designed to diagnosis or provide medical advice. If you have questions about the diagnosis consult with your eye care professional.

Mission: 
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading voluntary eye health and safety organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight, is first and foremost a public health organization. As such, Prevent Blindness focuses on improving the Nation’s vision and eye health by enhancing community capacity through their core competencies of education, advocacy, early detection, and research. Half of all blindness can be prevented, yet this can only occur through these essential interventions.
Address: 
211 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1700
Chicago
Illinois
60606
(800) 331-2020
http://www.preventblindness.org
Email: 
info@preventblindness.org
Organization membership: 
Prevent Blindness collaborates with its network of affiliate, divisions, regional offices, and program partners throughout the United States.
Programs: 
<em>Prevent Blindness Educates</em> Through our public awareness campaigns and health education initiatives, Prevent Blindness educates both the general public and specific populations about vision, eye health, and safety with a goal of arming them to take control of their own vision and eye health. <em>Prevent Blindness Advocates:</em> At Prevent Blindness, our organizational history is deeply rooted in the culture of advocating for public policy that advances the vision and eye health of all Americans. Since 1908, we have engaged advocates from across the country to support efforts to enhance eye health policy. <em>Prevent Blindness Promotes Early Detection:</em> Early detection of vision problems is a key to the prevention of vision loss and blindness. Prevent Blindness facilitates interventions such as vision screenings and risk assessments, which are an essential element of a strong public health approach to eye health care and serve as a complement to professional eye exams. We further assist individuals in accessing care and managing their vision and eye health problems. <em>Prevent Blindness Supports Research:</em> Prevent Blindness is committed to promoting laboratory, clinical, and epidemiological vision and eye health research. We do this by sponsoring a variety of public health research initiatives, supporting external clinical research efforts through our Investigator awards, and advocating for increased funding of research through the National Eye Institute.
Meetings: 
The board of Prevent Blindness gathers three times throughout the year, with one annual meeting and two interim meetings.
Publications: 

Cost of Vision Problems: The Economic Burden of Vision Loss and Eye Disorders in the United States, http://costofvision.preventblindness.org/
Vision Problems in the U.S.: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye Disease in America
The Economic Impact of Vision Problems in the U.S.: The Toll of Major Adult Eye Disorders, Visual Impairment and Blindness on the U.S. Economy
Our Vision for Children’s Vision: A National Call to Action for the Advancement of Children’s Vision and Eye Health
The Vision Connection: Integrating Vision into State Health Programs
Vision Preservation and the National Prevention Strategy: A Call to Action
Prevent Blindness America: Working to Advance Public Health, Vision and Eye Care in the U.S.
UV and Our Nation’s Vision—Insights from a Congressional Briefing
Prevent Blindness’ newsletter, Prevent Blindness News, is published three times per year. A more frequent online version, Prevent Blindness E-News, is distributed monthly.
Prevent Blindness brochures are developed on a wide range of eye health and safety topics. Single copies are available free to the public, and quantities are also sold via a catalog and the website.

Representative: 

Jeff Todd
Chief Operating Officer
Phone: 1–800–331–2020, ext. 6026
Email: jtodd@preventblindness.org

Alternate Name: 

Sarah Hecker
Director, Media Relations
Phone: 312-363-6035
Email: shecker@preventblindness.org