Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss:
An Affiliate on the Rise
The Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss wants you! But we know that in order to be the type of affiliate ACB members will want to join, we must become a leading advocate for people with vision loss. Many of ACB’s special-interest affiliates, including GDUI, CCLVI and RSVA, are highly respected within their own sphere of influence. When advocacy issues arise, whether the issue relates to service animals, concerns of people with low vision, or Randolph-Sheppard issues, we can count on our national affiliates to weigh in. Their leadership is expected, and their viewpoints respected. With the commitment and efforts of current AAVL members and the addition of many new members, we will make AAVL that kind of affiliate. As AAVL’s newly elected president, I think this goal represents nothing short of the vision of founding members such as Oral Miller and Teddie-Joy Remhild and immediate past president, John Huffman. After all, more than half of the population of Americans with vision loss is over 55, and available services are woefully inadequate to meet the need.
ACB members may not see a reason to join, as the organization’s primary purpose is to assist those suffering vision loss, and most of us have been living with it for all or most of our lives. Even though this is our primary purpose, the ancillary purposes of AAVL apply to all seniors in the organization. They include advocating for the improvement of the social, economic and cultural status of adults with vision loss, and supporting education, awareness and adult rehabilitation programs for the blind and visually impaired.
Thus, the work that AAVL needs to be doing will benefit all of us. I urge you to consider joining AAVL, to attend our convention sessions, to give us input on issues of importance to older individuals with vision impairments, and to hold us accountable for working on issues of importance to us. I also urge you to become more active at the local, state or national level with respect to issues impacting seniors with vision loss. Some issues are specific to our population, while others are of general concern to all seniors, including health care, transportation, recreation, housing, etc.
If you want to join AAVL for $15 per year, contact AAVL treasurer Kathy Gerhardt via email, [email protected], or by phone at (304) 283-7424.
— Jeff Thom
Happy New Year from ACB Diabetics in Action
Happy New Year! Since it is the beginning of the year, it is time to send your dues of $10 for 2019. Make your check or money order payable to ACBDA, then send it to Mike Godino, 104 Tilrose Ave., Malverne, NY 11565-2024.
In January we will be making plans for our convention in Rochester. If anyone has any suggestions for a speaker or what you would like to see us do, please let me know.
Our conference calls on the second Wednesday of each month start at 8 p.m. Eastern time, 5 p.m. Pacific. The call-in number is (515) 604-9387, and the passcode is 694958. Everyone is welcome to join.
Dee Clayton, president, ACB Diabetics in Action
Phone: (515) 848-5007
Email: [email protected]
Scheigert Scholarship Window Opens
It’s a brand-new year, and the application period for CCLVI Scheigert scholarships is now open. Three low-vision students — an incoming freshman, an undergraduate and a graduate student — will receive academic-year scholarships valued at $3,000 each. In addition to the financial stipend, Scheigert recipients will have the opportunity to attend the 2019 ACB national conference and convention in Rochester, N.Y., learn more about ACB and the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, and interact with fellow scholarship winners and ACB members from throughout the United States. Information regarding qualifications, required documentation and financial support is available on the CCLVI website, www.cclvi.org.
Click on “Scheigert Scholarship” to review the guidelines and expense reimbursement policy, and to gain access to the 2019 application. All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern on March 15. Questions may be directed to 1-844-460-0625.