This World Sight Day, Let’s Raise Our Voices for Children’s Vision
Stand With AER in Supporting the EDVI Act
Children’s vision matters. Early identification of vision concerns can help connect children and families with the services, resources, and support they need to learn, develop, and participate fully in their communities.
As World Sight Day approaches on October 8, AER is joining Prevent Blindness and organizations across the vision, health, education, and disability communities in raising awareness and building support for the Early Detection of Vision Impairments in Children (EDVI) Act
AER recently joined other organizations in urging Congress to include the EDVI Act in an end-of-year legislative package. Now, we are encouraging our members, chapters, divisions, and partners to help amplify that message.
Help Build Support for the EDVI Act
There are several ways your organization can help demonstrate the broad support for children’s vision and the EDVI Act:
Share why children’s vision matters to your organization.
Post a message or short video on your social media channels about the importance of children’s vision and the work your organization does to support children and families. Prevent Blindness is helping amplify messages from organizations participating in this effort.
Contact your members of Congress.
Send a short letter sharing your organization’s support for the EDVI Act and explain what passage of the legislation could mean for the children, families, professionals, and communities you serve.
Help expand the coalition.
Think about other organizations in your network that care about children’s vision, eye health, education, rehabilitation, early intervention, or services for children with disabilities. Encourage them to learn more about the EDVI Act, consider endorsing the legislation, and connect them with Prevent Blindness.
Celebrate World Sight Day by Taking Action
World Sight Day on October 8 is an opportunity to put children’s vision and eye health in the spotlight.
For AER and the professionals we represent, vision is about more than eyesight. Access to appropriate services and support can affect how children learn, develop, communicate, navigate their environments, and participate in school and community life.
This World Sight Day, we encourage organizations across our network to use their voices to help raise awareness and demonstrate to policymakers that **children’s vision is a priority**.
Even one action can help add to the collective voice.
Get the Resources You Need
Prevent Blindness has developed a toolkit to make it easy for organizations to participate. The resources include:
- Social media graphics and sample captions
- Letter templates for contacting Congress
- Guidance for organizations interested in supporting the EDVI Act
- Information to help organizations connect with Prevent Blindness
Access the Prevent Blindness EDVI Act Toolkit
If your organization is ready to take the next step, connect with Prevent Blindness to learn more about endorsing the EDVI Act and joining the growing coalition of organizations advocating for children’s vision.
Let’s Make Children’s Vision Part of the Conversation
AER believes that our collective voice can help bring greater attention to issues that affect individuals with vision loss and the professionals who serve them.
This World Sight Day, let’s use that voice to advocate for children.
Share. Speak up. Connect another organization. Help build support for the EDVI Act.
Learn more about the EDVI Act and how your organization can get involved.