Alexandria, Va., Oct. 15, 2021 —Today, in honor of White Cane Day, the American Council of the Blind and Walmart have teamed up to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and routine eye exams for the visually impaired.
The national Get Up & Get Moving campaign is designed to encourage the visually impaired communities to take charge of their independence and overall health.
“We are excited to be collaborating with Walmart to amplify these messages and share health information, for which they continue to push for progress inside and outside of the company through their support of their customers in the communities where they live and overall commitment for accessibility,” said Eric Bridges, executive director of ACB.
Notable past collaborations between the two organizations include ScripTalk in 2019, which provides audible prescription labels at the patient’s request and is available in over 1,952 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations across the country.
Over 4 million Americans experience severe vision loss and blindness, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control, puts a $51.4 billion burden on our annual economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the additional needs many individuals experiencing blindness have when it comes to locally accessible, reliable healthcare options, including nutrition, eye health and diabetes management.
Currently, of the 34 million Americans with diabetes, nearly one-third will experience diabetes-related vision loss. Despite this causal link between diabetes and vision loss, there are few resources and technologies available to allow someone with vision loss to independently test, manage and care for their diabetes.
Together, we hope to empower both our ACB members and the over 30 million Americans with severe vision loss to take control of their health. For more information on the tools and resources available, visit www.acb.org.