(Press Release)
CHICAGO – Prevent Blindness will be holding its 11th annual “Eyes on Capitol Hill” advocacy day on Tuesday, July 12 in Washington, D.C. Citizens from across the U.S. will have the opportunity to meet with House and Senate members, and their staff, to discuss vision care issues.
In 1908, Prevent Blindness was founded as a public health and advocacy group dedicated to healthy vision. The Prevent Blindness Eyes on Capitol Hill event provides constituents who have been affected by eye and vision problems a chance to share their stories with the nation’s leaders.
The Eyes on Capitol Hill meetings have been scheduled to specifically ask elected officials to:
- Provide $1,500,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 to strengthen vision and eye health efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Provide at least $3,294,000 for the Glaucoma Project at CDC in FY 2017.
- Support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s (MCHB) National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (the Center) in developing a public health infrastructure to promote and ensure a continuum of vision and eye health care for children.
- Provide $770 million to the National Eye Institute in FY 2017.
- Cosponsor HR 1312/S 898, the National Health Service Corps Improvement Act.
- Join the Congressional Vision Caucus.
The following day, July 13, all Eyes on Capitol Hill delegates will attend the fifth annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
“For more than a decade, Prevent Blindness has helped to provide those that have been deeply impacted by vision loss and vision issues an opportunity to discuss their experiences with our government representatives through our Eyes On Capitol Hill program,” says Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “We are proud to continue this effort to advocate for the importance of sight-saving programs and research.”
For more information on Eyes on Capitol Hill, Prevent Blindness and its advocacy initiatives, please call (800) 331-2020 or visit www.preventblindness.org.