PBA holds 'Eyes on Capitol Hill'

Chicago-Prevent Blindness America (PBA) will hold its 6th annual “Eyes on Capitol Hill” event today. This annual event is designed to give community leaders and patient advocates the opportunity to meet with government representatives to discuss vision issues.

The activities will include a National Call-in Day, in which supporters across the country are asked to call and request their local government representatives to make vision health a priority issue.

“For the sixth straight year, PBA has worked to bring together those whose lives have been profoundly touched by some type of vision issue-eye disease, an eye accident, or the eye health of a loved one,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and chief executive officer of PBA. “We are excited to give them an opportunity to speak with their [Congressperson] or Senator to give first-hand testimonies of the need for expanding existing eye health programs and funding.”

Vision community leaders will meet with government staff on Capitol Hill for the “Eyes on Capitol Hill” advocacy event. To wrap up the day, PBA will host the third annual Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC) reception. The CVC-composed of a bicameral, bipartisan coalition of more than 80 members of Congress and five members of Senate-is co-chaired by Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Rep. David Price (D-NC).

Leading vision health organizations are co-sponsors of this event and include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Optometric Association, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Lighthouse International, Lions Club International, National Industries for the Blind, the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, VisionServe Alliance, Vision 2020 USA, and The Vision Council.