Allan Kleiman wrote: Dear Colleagues, You and your public library are invited to participate in an exciting national public awareness campaign called Vision Loss is Not a Normal Part of Aging - Open Your Eyes to the Facts! The campaign - spearheaded by Lighthouse International, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in New York - is funded through grants from the AARP Andrus Foundation and the National Eye Institute. Most Americans believe - mistakenly - that vision loss is a natural part of aging and, as a result, do not seek professional help. As a leading resource worldwide on vision impairment and vision rehabilitation, the Lighthouse strives to raise awareness of the difference between normal age-related changes in vision and those caused by disease, and to encourage people to visit their eye doctors. In addition, we hope to raise awareness of vision rehabilitation - counseling and training to help people overcome the challenges of vision loss. Public libraries like yours are perfect partners for this project, as you are committed already to serving older adults and people with impaired vision. We will provide your library with an eye-catching poster, plus educational booklets and bookmarks for your community. These free materials will be available in both English and Spanish, as well as online at lighthouse.org, which you can link to from your library's home page. A number of libraries across the US already are working with the Lighthouse to distribute these materials as part of their ongoing community outreach efforts, and also in recognition of National Vision Rehabilitation Day and World Sight Day (both of which will be celebrated on October 10, 2002). Later this summer, Lighthouse International will send campaign news releases and radio public service announcements to the media. And in early September, a sample packet of materials will be distributed to libraries, so that you can order the quantities you'll need. We hope that you will participate in this exciting project. To sign-up for your sample packet of materials send an e-mail to me at: [log in to unmask] Please include your name, library, address, phone number and e-mail. Feel free to share this letter with your colleagues in other libraries. We want them to be a part of this project, too! I look forward to hearing from you. Together we can spread the word: Vision Loss is Not a Normal Part of Aging - Open Your Eyes to the Facts! Sincerely, Allan Allan M. Kleiman [log in to unmask]) Lighthouse International Library Project Consultant I have a real problem with this program. But then again I am 49 and visually impaired. I am not sure that people who cannot see good/like I used to are going to care about a vision problem correlated to age and a problem that is cause and effect. Middle aged far sighted ness is not "aged related"? And with other problems, this common "issue" can mean print handicapped. Did I mention I spend $12,000 on eye care last year and the results are not good. And what about cataracts. I dont see alot of 20 somethings signing up for surgery. Glaucoma may be a little bit more of an equal opportunity destroyer. How about macular degeneration. The sadest thing is the middle/old middle aged command to the doctor to "give me new glasses" or "fix the Rx". Now THAT would be a campaign that would benefit all. When new glasses wont help. The point is visual impairment and with age more issues add up to be a serious problem. And significant visual impairment has a big audience (of victums) and is seriously overlook by the professional. HELP. Respectfully, Carol J. Buechler Buechler Computers and Engineers [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] www.wright.edu/~buechler.4 --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? HotJobs, a Yahoo! service - Search Thousands of New Jobs