Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington

The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington (POB) was founded in 1936, to provide blindness prevention services and education programs to individuals in the greater Washington, DC area.

History

1936-1954

POB was founded on March 10, 1936 by May B. Vories and Dr. William H. Wilmer, founder of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, as a seven-point program to bring eye health information to the Washington, D.C. community. Their seven points included:

1. Adequate prenatal care
2. Enactment of a bill to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum
3. Appointment of a school oculist
4. Preschool vision tests for children
5. A medical social worker in the Society's eye clinic
6. Providing general information on eye health
7. creating an industrial and sight survey

By 1946, POB developed a vision screening program for all 9,000 children in D.C.'s parochial schools.

POB also made one of the earliest research grants for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) which was the cause of 50% of blindness among American children. Today, blindness from ROP is less than 1%.^[1]

In 1954, POB began administering an annual grant from New Eyes for the Needy of New Jersey to buy new prescription eyeglasses and distribute them to individuals in the community who needed them. POB also began collecting and shipping pairs of recycled eyeglasses through New Eyes for the Needy to fund the purchase of the new eyeglasses.

Today, POB continues to work with New Eyes for the Needy to distribute nearly 8,000 eyeglasses each year to homeless and low-income individuals.

1954 to present

1n 1993, POB established a Macular Degeneration Network provide monthly support group for individuals with this condition. This group was followed closely by Stargardt Disease network's first symposium in 1994. Today, the organization has Aging Eye, Macular Degeneration and Stargardt's Networks as well as 12 supports groups for individuals with low vision and their families.

POB opened a Low Vision Learning Center^[2] in Alexandria, VA in 2010 under the direction of Dr. Suleiman Alibhai. The center provides low vision examinations, develops low vision rehabilitation programs and provides low vision aids for individuals in need.

Programs

POB offers a variety of services to help individuals in the Washington, DC area improve and preserve their sight.

Vision screenings

Each year, POB screens 8,000 children for vision loss and strabismus. The Children's Vision Screening program provides screenings from ages 3 to 18. Screenings test for distance acuity, amblyopia (or lazy eye), and strabismus (a turned eye).

Screening at a young age can result in early detection and treatment that could prevent or slow vision loss as well as learning difficulties.^[3] Undetected vision problems among children often lead to permanent vision loss and learning disabilities.

Vision screenings are an accurate and cost-effective way to find children who need a full eye examination. The Children's Vision Screening program has a 99% accuracy rate, and identifies about 5% of children with a vision problem.

POB also screens 5,000 adults for glaucoma and visual acuity. These screening services cover a wide range of needs, sometimes resulting in early detection and treatment that could prevent or slow vision loss.

Eyeglasses clinic

POB manages an eyeglasses clinic in Northeast Washington, DC that provides thousands of low-income individuals with eyeglasses for free or at a nominal fee. The clinic also provides free eyeglasses repairs and access to other vision resources in the community.

Low Vision Learning Center

n 2010, POB established a Low Vision Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia, that offers a variety of programs and services for people with low vision, including examinations and personalized rehabilitation programs.

The Low Vision Learning Center also provides individuals the opportunity to test the latest in visual aids and low vision technologies. Some of these devices include:

LED hand-held magnifiers Telescopes Electronic closed-circuit televisions

Training and rehabilitation on these devices is also provided. At the center, each low vision program is uniquely designed based on a person's needs, the tasks he or she wants to perform, and the skills and devices a low vision specialist believes will best help him or her reach their goals. Any healthcare provider can refer an individual to the center based on evaluation or a person's request.

The Low Vision Learning Center is made possible in part by a grant from the Julius Fleischman Foundation. It is also supported by a donation from the Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation and District 24-A Lions Club.

Networks and support groups

POB sponsors an Aging Eye Network, a Macular Degeneration Network and a Stargardt's Network for individuals living with these vision conditions. POB also facilitates several support groups and hosts educational programs to help the public understand issues related to low vision. Members of these Networks also receive a free monthly newsletter from POB entitled Your Eyes Today.

Partnerships

For decades, POB has partnered with numerous organizations to expand its sight-saving programs and has worked to bring eye health information to the community. POB began partnering with Georgetown University Hospital's KIDS Mobile Medical Clinic^[4] to bring vision screenings, eye examinations with a volunteer ophthalmologist and eyeglasses at no-cost to children without health insurance at the King Greenleaf Recreation Center in southeast Washington.

In 2011, POB developed a partnership with Washington National Eye Center to provide free monthly eye exams to adults and follow-up care at another local nonprofit, Bread for the City.^[5]

POB is also a partner in the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP), which is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health's(NIH) National Eye Institute.^[6]

References