The Role of Organizations in Reaching Older Adults About Vision Loss

ABSTRACT

Vision impairment affects approximately 17% of Americans age 45 and older. Yet, 94% of adults with self-reported vision loss did not receive any type of vision rehabilitation services to help them retain independence. These findings underscore the need for promoting awareness about what can be done when vision fails. A national dissemination initiative was designed and implemented to place vision loss on the radar screen of older adults. This article highlights strategies to reach the target population through public libraries, and through aging and vision organizations. The evaluation focused on the impact of the educational materials and recommendations for future outreach efforts.

This project was made possible by funding from the AARP Andrus Foundation and the National Eye Institute. The authors would like to thank Tana D'Allura and Amy Horowitz for their comments on earlier versions of this article.