News & Press Releases

September is Hispanic Heritage Month. Did you know that almost 14% of Hispanics in the U.S. face significant visual impairment? The Aging and Vision Loss National Coalition, VisionServe Alliance, and the Ohio State University College of Optometry provide groundbreaking data regarding the rate of blindness and low vision among people over 65, with specific insights…

Glaucoma Awareness Month and Vision Loss Impacts on the Aging U.S. PopulationAdapted from “United States’ Older Population and Vision Loss: A Briefing” by John D. Crews, DPA, Senior Scientist, VisionServe Alliance During Glaucoma Awareness Month, VisionServe Alliance and the Aging & Vision Loss National Coalition emphasizes the findings of the Big Data Project for U.S. residents aged 65+.…

Adapted from “United States’ Older Population and Vision Loss:  A Briefing  by John D. Crews, PhD, Senior Scientist, VisionServe Alliance September is Hispanic Heritage Month and Healthy Aging Month. VisionServe Alliance  is focusing on both observances, highlighting Big Data Project findings relative to the United States’ Hispanic population aged 65+.  According to the report 2018 Profile of Hispanic Americans…

VisionServe Alliance is excited to announce that we are collaborating with National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB) to offer a seminar for leaders and an additional learning track of sessions on pertinent topics during the 2022 NIB/NAEPB Training Conference and Expo. This…

VisionServe Alliance and The Ohio State University College of Optometry provide groundbreaking data on the rate of blindness and low vision among two Age Groups: Phase 1 – Adults 65+ and Phase 2 – Working Age Adults 65+ VisionServe Alliance (VSA) and The Ohio State University College of Optometry partnered a project to analyze standardized…

The Power of Leading Together Registration Now Open Join us in person in beautiful Tampa April 3-6 at VSA’s 2022 Executive Leadership Conference! Industry professionals and leaders involved in the provision of service to or with people who are blind or have low vision are invited to reflect on the impact our industry has on…

The Big Data Project VisionServe Alliance (VSA) and the Ohio State University College of Optometry have partnered, embarking on a project to analyze standardized statewide data and national reports of people who are blind or have low vision. “The Big Data Project is VisionServe’s most ambitious undertaking to date.  It is an honor to work…

WHO: Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh, Inc. WHAT:  Inclusive and Interactive Yoga for All WHERE: Virtual via Mindbody using Zoom DETAILS: Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh is excited to announce the return of VIRTUAL classes at Blue Awning Yoga & Wellness.  This inclusive studio creates an atmosphere of harmony and wellness in…

VSA Collects Membership Data For Better Insight VisionServe Alliance is helping to bridge the gap in data available in our field. Starting in 2022, VSA will ask members to submit an annual report on the services they provide and other data points to help clarify the services and makeup of our field. The data will…

The Chicago Lighthouse’s research department is the Epicenter of Vision Innovation. Our groundbreaking work is at the forefront of advancing the possibilities for people with low vision. In partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology, we are in the first phase of a clinical trial that will investigate the visual perceptions via an implant for…

U.S. Goalball Teams Announced For Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games FORT WAYNE, INDIANA (June 9, 2021) – The United States Association of Blind Athletes has revealed the 12 athletes selected to represent Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in the sport of goalball. The announcement was made Wednesday at Turnstone Center, an official U.S.…

Success Beyond Sight, (SBS), a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, has created a FREE National Registry (NRTSVI) for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVIs/TVIs) to empower a national voice for TSVIs/TVIs and to provide a means to reach, on a national level, TSVIs/TVIs with free resources and important professional information. Success Beyond Sight recognizes the crucial role that…

St. Louis, Missouri—May 18, 2021 – VisionServe Alliance (VSA) announces the release of its official Code of Ethics policy which outlines expectations regarding the behavior of VSA towards its members, clients, stakeholders, and society. Developed by the Board of Directors with assistance from the Employers Association Forum, VSA’s Code of Ethics policy is a statement…

VSA will continue to research and share updates on the ARPA as more info becomes available. Several items to note as of now, 1) The deadline to apply for the PPP loan has NOT been extended beyond March 31st, 2) Be aware of the new extension of COBRA coverage (see below), 3) the new Charitable Incentive…

St. Louis, Missouri—March 22, 2021 – VisionServe Alliance announces two new recipients of its annual academic scholarship: Alison Clougherty, Co-Founder of BEST in Nashville, TN, and Melisa Matthews, a Blind Low Vision Specialist with VIPS in Louisville, KY. VSA’s annual academic scholarship is available to employees of its member organizations whose annual budget is $1.5…

The Inspiration Foundation awarded 13 VisionServe Alliance members Assistive Technology Grants of up to $1,500 to help them keep their technology class rooms and remote training sessions up to date. The recipients used this funding to purchase a variety of equipment including braille displays, braille printers, a new laptop, phones for training, air pods, ear…

Aging and Vision Loss to Take Center Stage; Services to Students and Working-Age Adults to Have Starring Roles

The Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition was formed to raise awareness and build support for policies that will enhance access to assistive devices, technologies, and related services for people with disabilities and chronic conditions. The coalition is broad-based including disability and aging organizations as well as health and provider associations.

Author: Paul Schroeder, April 8, 2020 Across the US, businesses, and agencies, and the communities and individuals they serve are struggling in countless ways to maintain well-being – physical, mental and economic. And, our political leaders are also struggling, with limited resources and levers to provide assistance and guidance. Recently enacted legislation has certainly helped…

Today VisionServe Alliance joins many other organizations and companies in a collaborative project to collect data and information about the experiences of adults who are blind or have low vision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the lives of adults with visual impairments and to identify…

March 19, 2020 – VisionServe Alliance joined over 144 national nonprofit organizations calling for the federal government to pass a stimulus bill to support nonprofit organizations facing the COVID-19 crisis.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was signed by President Donald Trump on March 18. A congressional summary of H.R. 6201 can be found here.

“There is lots of work to be done, and together we can do it.” 181 leaders in the blindness and low vision field attended VisionServe’s Executive Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia this past November. This figure sets a record high attendance for any of our conferences and included representatives from 75 VisionServe member organizations (61%…

St. Louis, Missouri—February 20, 2019 – VisionServe Alliance has launched a pilot program of its new web-based patient referral system known as “VisionRefer!” The web-based referral system will help make referrals of low vision patients by their doctors to vision rehabilitation centers nationwide easy, fast, and HIPAA compliant. The goal is to make VisionRefer! available…

St. Louis, Missouri – June 19, 2018  –  In partnership with the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB), VisionServe Alliance announces that the results of the 5th Biennial Compensation & Benefits Survey are now available to all participating members. This survey is…