Research!America and AEVR Release Vision and Blindness Fact Sheet During World Glaucoma Week 2020

(Washington, D.C.)  Today, Research!America released its updated Vision and Blindness fact sheet as a link from an AEVR-generated article recognizing World Glaucoma Week 2020 (March 8-14). The fact sheet, supported by a grant from the Albert and Mark Lasker Foundation and prepared with AEVR’s assistance, reflects the third update of the original fact sheet developed in 2004.

Commenting on the fact sheet’s release, AEVR Executive Director James Jorkasky stated:

“AEVR is pleased to have once again partnered with Research!America in presenting the latest information about eye disease and its prevalence, including glaucoma, as well as the impact that research funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is having in treating these diseases.

Releasing the fact sheet in conjunction with World Glaucoma Week 2020 enabled AEVR to have a second opportunity to educate about this blinding eye disease, following up on its February 26 Congressional Briefing entitled The Impact of Federal Funding on Glaucoma Research and Clinical Practice, held in conjunction with the American Glaucoma Society’s (AGS) Capitol Hill visits that day to educate about the cost of and patient impact from glaucoma.   

In addition to its long history of working cooperatively on the fact sheets, AEVR also joined with Research!America in 2014 to commission a poll, performed by Zogby Analytics and funded by a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, about Americans’ attitudes about vision and vision loss. The poll entitled The Public’s Attitudes about the Health and Economic Impact of Vision Loss and Eye Disease was published in the August 2016 edition of JAMA Ophthalmology. The updated fact sheet includes a graphic from that study which shows that Americans across all major racial groups respond “very important” when asked the question, “How important is it that our nation supports research that focuses on improving prevention and treatment of eye and vision disorders?”  

Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR), a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation, is proud to announce this educational program associated with its Decade of Vision 2010-2020 Initiative, a sustained educational effort acknowledged by Congress that recognizes the benefits of federally funded vision research. Visit AEVR’s Web site at www.eyeresearch.org

The Research!America alliance advocates for science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better health for all. Visit www.researchamerica.org.