Robert Christie, who is blind, gives a massage during the 2015 Low Vision Expo.
Cheryl Saucier, practice director at Southeast Vision Rehabilitation, came up with the idea for the Low Vision Network, which is partnering with local Lions Clubs to host the third annual Low Vision Expo at Coolidge Park April 8.The Low Vision Network and chapters of Lions Club International throughout Hamilton County are teaming up for a new initiative to help those with vision loss.
The Low Vision Rehabilitation Project - being piloted here and in Massachusetts before being rolled out nationwide - will be showcased in a Low Vision Expo Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Coolidge Park Walker Pavilion.
The expo, now in its third year, provides anyone with vision impairment with an opportunity to learn more about and connect with area resources available for low vision, - 20/70 vision or worse (legal blindness is 20/200) which can't be fully corrected with glasses, surgery or other means.
People with low vision, including a massage therapist and various artists, will demonstrate how they've overcome obstacles to functionality.
"If you've never met somebody with vision loss, it will influence your perception of their capabilities," said Southeast Vision Rehabilitation Practice Director Cheryl Saucier, as to how members of the community who aren't vision impaired can benefit from attending the event.
Attendees can also check out the newest technology to assist those with impaired vision. Door prizes will be awarded, and entertainment will be provided by artists with low vision.
The Chattanooga area Low Vision Network aims to be a one-stop shop to connect people with low vision to providers offering various rehabilitative services including optometry, occupational therapy, assistive technology and traditional vision rehabilitation.
The goal of the network is to empower patients to achieve their functional goals.
"When you lose your vision, you don't just go get one service and then you're done. You need a plethora of services to get back to independence and being connected with the community," said Saucier, who developed the concept for the network in 2014 along with Amy Burba, acting director of occupational services at Siskin Hospital for Rehabilitation, and Dr. Heather McBryar, owner of Southeast Vision Rehabilitation, a specialized low-vision optometric practice located in Hixson.
The Lions Club's new Low Vision Rehabilitation Project focuses specifically on helping people whose vision loss impacts many everyday activities, such as driving and reading. The project is based on a system of low-vision assessments developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, in particular Dr. Robert Massof, who is working to improve the reliability of low-vision assessments.
Massof has asked Chattanooga's Low Vision Network to participate in a study related to his research. A longtime Lion, Massof was instrumental in the Low Vision Network receiving a $166,110 grant from the Lions Club International Foundation to help fund a number of initiatives.
Lions Club members throughout Tennessee and Massachusetts will be trained to aid people with low vision and help provide access to rehabilitative services.
"[Dr. Massof's system] is designed to harness the volunteerism of the Lions to meet a massive health care gap, as we have a huge influx of people with age-related vision loss and not a lot of adequately trained professionals," said Saucier, a member of the Signal Mountain Lions Club.
The Low Vision Rehabilitation Project is expected to be expanded into a nationwide program over the next five to seven years, she added.
Signal Centers had a large role in obtaining the grant. Additional funding has been provided by the Chattanooga Ophthalmological Foundation, which awarded the project $450,000 to be distributed over the next three years; and the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.
For more information on the Low Vision Expo, visit tnlionslowvision.org or contact Saucier at 321-8233 or cheryl@sevisionrehab.com. Coolidge Park is at 150 River St.