Rep. Maloney Announces Federal Funding for NYC's Visually Impaired
New York, NY -- Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Dr. Tara A. Cortes, President and CEO of Lighthouse International, and Dr. Ellen Isler, President and CEO of JBI International gathered at the Lighthouse in Manhattan to announce two new federal grants for the visually impaired. $190,000 in funding for JBI and $176,000 in funding for Lighthouse were included in the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on March 11th.
Photo caption: Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney and Dr. Tara A. Cortes, President and CEO of Lighthouse International
"These federal grants will make a life-changing difference for visually impaired New Yorkers," said Rep. Maloney. "JBI and Lighthouse are two of our nation's most distinguished advocates for the visually impaired Vision loss is a devastating diagnosis, but these fine organizations and the federal government are helping the visually impaired lead rewarding and independent lives."
The grant for JBI International will fund the organization's Access to the Written Word for the Visually Impaired and Blind program. This project will help enrich the quality of life of Americans who are visually impaired, blind, and reading disabled by improving access to and expanding JBI's free library of audio, Braille, and large print publications; creating "talking book" clubs for the visually impaired; and responding to the needs of the rapidly-growing population of seniors suffering from age-related vision loss.
Judy Tenney, Chairman of JBI, notes: "We have never been busier or more vibrant. Though we are meeting the educational, literary and cultural demands of the large and growing population of visually impaired Americans, we remain, as always, dedicated to the personal and individual needs of every client who turns to us."
Federal funding for Lighthouse International, a national leader in advocacy and professional education, will be dedicated to the Lighthouse's Mult-E-Skills: Expanding Workforce Capacity to Confront the Escalating Crisis of Vision Impairment Among Adults program. This project addresses New York's severe shortage of vision rehabilitation professionals by developing online, accessible, and interactive lessons in low-vision rehabilitation for local health care providers, such as occupational therapists and nurses.
"On behalf of the people we serve, I want to thank Congresswoman Maloney for her success in achieving this vital funding. As baby boomers age and diseases such as diabetes reach epidemic proportions, we estimate that more than one million people will have serious vision loss in the Greater New York area by 2015. This grant helps us deal with the critical need to train professionals to address the growing number of people with visual impairment," states Tara A. Cortes, PhD, RN, President and CEO of Lighthouse International, a leading non-profit vision healthcare organization.
The statistics are compelling: There are 161 million people worldwide who are visually impaired -- 37 million are blind and 124 million have low vision. Without intervention, the number of people with impaired vision could almost double by 2020. In the US alone, 16.5 million people age 45 or older self-report some form of vision impairment even when wearing glasses or contacts. By 2010, this figure will grow to 20 million.
Background on JBI International
For nearly 80 years, JBI has provided people of all backgrounds and ages who are blind, visually impaired, physically handicapped or reading disabled with books, magazines, and cultural programs in audio (in 8 languages), in large print and in Braille. Its unique programs enrich the lives of 35,000 individuals around the world.
The JBI Library provides its readers with a vast and growing collection of fiction, biography, history, Holocaust studies, short stories, cookbooks, psychology and self-help, memoirs, humor, periodicals and more. JBI's is the largest collection of Jewish interest books (very broadly defined) in the world for the blind and visually impaired and it is the only resource of its kind.
The JBI Library is an Affiliated Library of the Library of Congress and all of its services and materials are free of charge to anyone who cannot read standard print.
Background on Lighthouse International
Founded in 1905, Lighthouse International is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to fighting vision loss through prevention, treatment and empowerment. It achieves this through clinical and rehabilitation services, education, research and advocacy.
The Lighthouse is responding to the vision loss epidemic by providing unparalleled quality Vision Rehabilitation services to prevent or reduce the disabling effects of vision loss; preserving vision through the early detection and management of eye disease; and developing up-to-date webinars and professional training in the field of vision rehabilitation.
Lighthouse International programs include the Center for Public Health Practice and Education, which trains tomorrow's professionals and para-professionals in low vision care and vision rehabilitation through online and in-person continuing education classes, and the Diabetes Center, which helps people with diabetes-related vision loss through education and disease management. For more information about vision loss and its causes or Lighthouse courses, contact Lighthouse International at 1-800-829-0500 or visit www.lighthouse.org.