WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Sept. 21, Prevent Blindness, and the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington, held the first World Sight Day Vision Screening and Eye Health Educational Event at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. World Sight Day, coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), aims to raise awareness of blindness and vision impairment as major global public health and development issues. Legislative members, their staff, and the public were invited to participate in the free certified vision screening by trained volunteers, and received information on a variety of vision and eye health topics, including eye diseases and conditions.

This event was sponsored by Horizon Therapeutics. Both co-chairs of the Congressional Vision Caucus participated in the day’s event. Prevent Blindness formally thanked soon-retiring Rep. David Price (D-NC) for his years of service in the U.S. Congress, and his long-standing commitment to vision and eye health, while Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) provided recorded remarks to mark the occasion.

“All of us at Prevent Blindness thank Rep. Price for his years of service in Congress, and for his leadership and commitment to vision and eye health,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “And we thank everyone, including Rep. Bilirakis, for helping to make this World Sight Day event a tremendous success.”
     




Participants receive a certified vision screening at the World Sight Day Capitol Hill Vision Screening and Eye Health Education Event from hosts, Prevent Blindness and the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington.

Sara D. Brown, MPA, director of Government Affairs at Prevent Blindness (l) and Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness (r), presented Rep. David E. Price (c), co-chair of the Congressional Vision Caucus, with a Prevent Blindness commemorative plaque for work to improve vision and eye health in the U.S.
Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, and Caren Forsten, CEO, Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington, kick off the World Sight Day Capitol Hill Vision Screening and Eye Health Education Event in Washington, D.C.