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July 24, 2007 The Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc. (A.V.R.E.) is pleased to announce it has been awarded $5,030 from the Helen Thomas Howland Foundation, through the Community Foundation of Tompkins County to support its Community Senior Vision Rehabilitation Program in Tompkins County. A.V.R.E. serves nine upstate New York counties, including Tompkins and Broome. Supporting the independent living needs of seniors with a vision disability is a core tenet of A.V.R.E.'s mission. Seniors with severe vision impairment who are not legally blind represent a truly underserved population, as there is currently no reimbursement mechanism in place to provide vision rehabilitation services. Regional census data suggests that there are as many as 1500 seniors in Tompkins County and 5250 in Broome County who are severely visually impaired. Seniors with vision problems often experience reduced function, which has a direct correlation to their level of independence and a close association with decreased balance, falls, and depression. Every day tasks – preparing meals, crossing the street, reading, or managing personal finances – can become seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Fortunately, there exists a broad array of techniques and devices available to assist individuals with low vision in harnessing their usable vision. A.V.R.E. will provide vision rehabilitation services for Tompkins County seniors age 55 and older who have a severe vision impairment (20/50 best corrected or worse), who are not legally blind (20/200 best corrected or worse). Program participants will receive up to three vision rehabilitation sessions, a low vision exam, and access to appropriate adaptive aids and appliances. As administrative agent for the Howland Foundation, the Community Foundation of Tompkins County reviews all applications and makes funding recommendations to the Howland Foundation Trustees. The Howland Foundation awards grants in aging services, youth services, animal welfare, and the environment to qualified non-profit organizations that provide substantial benefit in these areas and whose services are provided within Tompkins and Broome counties. For more information,
contact Richard McCarthy, Director – Program Services at A.V.R.E. Close this window to return to Press Releases page.
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