LIGHTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL TO CELEBRATE WORLD SIGHT DAY
Will Participate In A Congressional Briefing On Gender Equity In Eye Care And Hold A Free Concert At Its New York City Headquarters
October 6, 2009... To mark World Sight Day, the annual international day to create awareness about vision impairment and the prevention of vision loss, Lighthouse International, the 104 year-old non-profit leader in vision healthcare, will participate in a Congressional Briefing and holding a special concert on Thursday, October 8, 2009.
According to Mark G. Ackermann, President and CEO of Lighthouse International, we have reached a critical moment as the nation focuses on healthcare reform. The statistics are staggering, as a growing number of Americans suffer from vision loss, yet 80% of blindness is treatable or preventable." More than 61 million Americans are at-risk of vision loss and 314 million people worldwide have low vision or are blind. In addition, women and young girls account for nearly two-thirds of the worldwide visually impaired and blind population.
To discuss this gender issue and the importance of equal access to care for men and women, under the auspices of the Vision 2020/USA coalition, Lighthouse International has joined other leading vision healthcare and rehabilitation organizations to hold a briefing for Members of Congress on October 8, 2009 at 12 noon at the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington,. D.C. Called "Gender Equity In Eye Care and Blindness Prevention", the luncheon briefing will feature: Congressman Tim Bishop, who is involved in the current healthcare debate; Janine Austin Clayton, MD Deputy Director for the Office of Research on Women's Health, Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health; Louis Pizzarello, MD., MPH, Chairman of Vision 2020/USA; and Jennifer Klein, Senior Advisor on Global Women's Issues for the U.S. Department of State.
That same evening, in honor of World Sight Day, Lighthouse International will present "A Vision of Jazz," a special free public concert at 7:30 p.m. at Lighthouse International headquarters, located at 111 East 59th Street in New York City. Artists Yo Kano, Frank Senior, Debbie Deyo-Howe, special guest star Valerie Capers and the Lighthouse Jazz Ensemble will perform. The concert is presented by the Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School of Lighthouse International.