Tag Archives : Prevent Blindness America

Just in time for back-to-school, Prevent Blindness America, The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, will continue to support September 2012 as Sports Eye Injury Prevention Awareness Month in an effort to educate the public on the importance as to wearing proper eye protection while playing sports. The three organizations joined efforts two years ago to launch an awareness campaign to Eye Care Professionals, specifically those who are Sports Eye Injury Prevention Centers, and reached approximately 5,000 retailers, providing them with the materials they need to make eye safety a priority for kids when playing sports. “This year our target is to add an additional 2,500 retailers for a total of 7,500 accounts supporting the September month campaign”, stated Anthony M. DiChiara, CEO of Liberty Sport. Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America, stated that “through our partnership with The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, we have been able to successfully provide retailers and the public with the important information and materials they need to help keep our children’s eyes safe from sports eye injuries. We encourage...

March 2012 marks the return of Workplace Eye Wellness Month, an annual nationwide campaign to raise awareness of work-related eye injuries and how to prevent them through proper vision protection.  As a leading provider of premium protective eyewear for occupational applications as well as for military, government and recreational use, Wiley X® is an ongoing supporter of this important initiative. According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 25,230 reported eye injuries in one year alone that required time away from work.  These statistics not only represent unacceptable human pain and suffering for American workers, but also lost wages and lost productivity.  Even more “eye-opening” is the fact that, according to non-profit organization Prevent Blindness America, 90-percent of all eye injuries can be prevented through the use of proper eye protection. Wiley X’s comprehensive line of protective eyewear is based on the company’s proven High Velocity Protection (HVP™) technology and is designed to protect workers performing a variety of jobs.  Wiley X is the only premium performance sunglass brand whose entire line meets the stringent...

FAIRFIELD, NJ (July 25, 2011) – Just in time for back-to-school, Prevent Blindness America, The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, Inc. will continue to support September as Sports Eye Injury Prevention Awareness Month in an effort to educate the public on the importance of wearing proper eye protection while playing sports. The three organizations joined efforts last year to launch an awareness campaign to Eye Care Professionals, specifically those who are Sports Eye Injury Prevention Centers, and reached approximately 2500 retailers, providing them with the materials they need to make eye safety a priority for kids when playing sports.  “This year our target is to add an additional 2,500 retailers for a total of 5,000 accounts supporting the September month campaign”, stated Anthony M. DiChiara, CEO of Liberty Sport. Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America, stated that “by joining together with The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, we hope to remind the public that 90 percent of all eye injuries are preventable through proper eye protection.  This program aims to help educate the public on the simple...

CHICAGO—Volunteer eye health and safety organization Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has announced that it launched its fifth annual online auction on Monday, May 2. According to the organization, the auction will run until May 25. Currently, the auction includes vacation getaways, restaurant gift certificates, designer sunglasses and more. Also available are signed photos and memorabilia from sports and entertainment stars. Participants are given the option to either bid on an item or purchase it immediately with all proceeds going toward vision and eye health education programs across the country, PBA said. “We hope that everyone will take a moment to go online and check out some great items, with proceeds going directly to our sight-saving programs,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of PBA. “We want to thank all of those who so generously donated items to our auction to help us on our mission to prevent needless vision loss.” Log on to www.preventblindness.net/auction to start bidding. For more information, contact Sue Corbett scorbett@preventblindness.org at (312) 363-6014.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In an official statement from the White House last week, President Obama proclaimed the week beginning March 4 as Save Your Vision Week. “Across America, millions of men and women experience vision loss or are affected by low vision or blindness. During Save Your Vision Week, we reinforce the importance of routine eye care and remind all Americans to take action to safeguard their eyesight,” Obama said. He added, “Vision is important to our everyday activities, and we can all take steps to protect and prolong our eye health,” making mention of both Healthy People 2020 (the Department of Health and Human Services’ science based agenda to prevent disease and promote health) and the website of the National Eye Institute, which he encourages Americans to visit in order to find an ECP. The presidential proclamation, which originated in 1963, comes in time for the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) Save Your Vision Month. According to AOA spokesperson Susan Thomas, the organization is “of course pleased to have President Obama issue this important announcement.” In response to the proclamation and March’s corresponding Save Your...

Leading Provider of Eyewear for Military Special Forces Highlights Importance of Proper Vision Protection for American Workers Wiley X® Eyewear is proud to support Workplace Eye Wellness Month, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of work-related eye injuries and educate America’s workforce about the importance of proper vision protection. According to statistics from Prevent Blindness America, more than 700,000 Americans injure their eyes at work each year. This same study finds that 90% of all workplace eye injuries could be prevented by using proper safety eyewear. Wiley X launched its extensive Safety Series of performance protective eyewear products, designed to provide American workers with the same proven High Velocity Protection (HVP™) found in many Wiley X styles utilized on the field of battle. Each pair of Wiley X sunglasses — whether intended for work, play or tactical use — offers an advanced level of protection. All Wiley X Eyewear models meet the coveted ANSI Z87.1-2003 rating for high velocity and high mass impact and optical performance standards. To pass this rigorous test, all Wiley X frames and lenses must be able to withstand repeated...

CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness America (PBA), the nation’s oldest non-profit eye health and safety organization, will be holding the sixth annual “Eyes on Capitol Hill” event on March 2, 2011. This year’s event consists of community leaders meeting with advocates and key government representatives on the Hill, a national call-in day and the Congressional Vision Caucus Reception. The activities are part of the PBA spring advocacy campaign promoting vision and eye health within the Federal appropriations cycle. Eyes on Capitol Hill follows the President’s Day advocacy week where affiliates and volunteers are being asked to contact their member of Congress locally in their home districts during the holiday Congressional recess. “For the sixth straight year, Prevent Blindness America has worked to bring together those whose lives have been profoundly touched by some type of vision issue — eye disease, an eye accident, or the eye health of a loved one. We are excited to give them an opportunity to speak with their Congressman or Senator to give first-hand testimonies of the need for expanding existing eye health programs and funding,” said Hugh R. Parry, president...

CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has announced that it is aligning goals with a recent recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) regarding vision screening of all children between the ages of 3 and 5. The USPSTF report notes that approximately 2 percent to 4 percent of preschool-aged children have amblyopia, an alteration in the visual neural pathway in the developing brain that can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye. “Identification of vision impairment before school entry could help identify children who may benefit from early interventions to correct or to improve vision,” PBA said, adding that the organization released “ Our Vision for Children’s Vision: A National Call to Action for the Advancement of Children’s Vision and Eye Health” in 2010 as part of its continued commitment to children’s vision health. “A professional eye examination is, without a doubt, the gold standard of eyecare, and should always be encouraged,” said Hugh R. Parry, the organization’s president and CEO. “Vision screenings are an essential element of a strong public health approach to children’s vision care, facilitating...

CHICAGO— Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) announced that they have chosen selected states to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). These states include Alaska, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts and Texas. According to PBA, funding for the Module is made available by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Thanks to the generous support of the CDC, this module will provide useful data to bring about public awareness and help in the development of public health strategies to address vision problems at the state and local level,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of PBA. “Data collected will be used to address a variety of vision health issues and gaps in vision health care services. It will also help determine funding needs for eye health programs,” Parry added. The Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module contains nine questions to assess prevalence of self-reported visual impairment, eye disease, eye injury, access to eyecare, and lack of eyecare insurance...

CHICAGO— Prevent Blindness America, has elected Sandra S. Block, OD, of the Illinois College of Optometry, Tracy L. Dieterich, of Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc. and Michael R. Pender, CPA, of Cavanaugh & Co. LLP, to the PBA Board of Directors. The vote was held at the 2010 Annual Board Meeting in Chicago on Nov. 13. “As we enter 2011, we look to our National Board of Directors to help guide us to achieve our ongoing mission of preventing blindness and preserving sight,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America. “We welcome Dr. Block, Mr. Dietrich and Mr. Pender to the board and look forward to their leadership and expertise on moving our organization forward.” Dr. Block, Medical Director of School Based Services and Director of School Based Research, has been on the faculty since 1982 specializing in eyecare for children and persons with disabilities, as well as the process of diagnosis and treatment of visually-related learning problems. In addition to her volunteer work, she has been a member of both the Public Health and the Scientific Committee and contributed heavily to the children’s vision screening protocols...

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Prevent Blindness America (PBA) asked lawmakers on yesterday to make protecting eyes from ultra-violet (UV) rays a national health priority by hosting a congressional briefing on “UV and Our Nation’s Vision,” with support from Transitions Optical, Inc., through the Transitions Healthy Sight for Life Fund, an announcement said. Representative Gene Green, Texas, co-chair of the Congressional Vision Caucus, provided the opening remarks and discussed the critical importance of making protecting our eyes from UV rays a national priority specifically by increasing the prevalence of UV and eye-health messages coming from federal agencies, national leaders such as the Surgeon General and in upcoming healthcare policies development “The impact of UV rays on the eye health, productivity and quality of life of Americans is too severe to ignore, and is only going to get worse, with high exposure to UV in the environment and low awareness of the need to protect the eyes,” said Rep. Green. “We need to help Americans see that protecting their eyes from UV is as important as protecting their skin.” According to PBA, the congressional briefing included...

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Prevent Blindness America (PBA) announced that it will host an educational panel on the effects of ultra-violet (UV) radiation to vision and its impact on children, minority groups and the economy. The congressional briefing will take place Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 9:00 to 11 a.m. at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center here, in Congressional Meeting Room South. “Because of the negative and lasting effects that extended UV exposure can have on the eyes, PBA is hosting the briefing in an effort to educate lawmakers on the importance of funding and expansion of public health programs that address overall eye health and sun protection,” the organization said in a statement. For more information, call (800) 331-2020 or visit facebook.com/preventblindness.

CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness America (PBA), a leading volunteer eye health and safety organization, has declared September as Sports Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month to encourage parents and children to learn the steps they can take to protect vision. According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in school-aged children and most of those injuries are sports-related. Fortunately, 90 percent of all eye injuries can be prevented through proper eye protection, according to the PBA, which provides information on sports eye health and safety for children through its new Star Pupils program, a national initiative designed to give parents the tools and information they need to protect their child’s eyes from injury or even blindness. Online users can also join the Prevent Blindness America Vision Web Forum at preventblindness.org/sportsforum to discuss sports-related eye health and safety topics with other concerned adults. Prevent Blindness America recently joined efforts with The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, Inc., in an awareness campaign titled “September is Sports Eye Injury Prevention...

CHICAGO—Just in time for the back-to-school season, Prevent Blindness America (PBA) is stepping up its efforts to ensure children have healthy vision in the classroom through its Star Pupils Healthy Eyes for Healthy Futures, a PBA program that focuses on finding the one-in-four school-age children with vision impairments that in many cases go unnoticed and untreated, leading to possible learning issues. PBA, the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization, and VisionDirect.com, an online retailer of contact lenses and eye health accessories launched an online fundraising program to support free vision screenings and better access to vision care for school-aged children. Through Oct. 1, VisionDirect.com will host an online fundraising program at that encourages people to click to donate. The company will match contributions up to $10,000. In addition, at Star Pupils vision screenings, special discount cards will be distributed to make vision care products more affordable. “We are thrilled about this partnership with VisionDirect.com,” said Hugh R. Parry, Prevent Blindness America president and CEO. “Healthy vision is imperative...

FAIRFIELD, NJ (July 7, 2010) – Just in time for back-to-school, Prevent Blindness America, The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, Inc have declared September as Sports Eye Injury Prevention Awareness Month in an effort to educate the public on the importance of wearing proper eye protection while playing sports. The three organizations have joined efforts to launch an awareness campaign to Eye Care Professionals, specifically those who are Sports Eye Injury Prevention Centers, which will provide them with the materials they need to make eye safety a priority for kids when playing sports. Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America, stated that “by joining together with The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, we hope to remind the public that 90 percent of all eye injuries are preventable through proper eye protection.  This program aims to help educate the public on the simple steps they can take to ensure a lifetime of healthy vision.” “We all recognize that it is important to continue to get the message out to patients, so to make it easy we have put together a ‘September is Sports Eye Injury Prevention...