A vision expo at the University of Houston College of Optometry offers information on resources for the blind and visually impaired to live independent and productive lives. (Credit: David Gee)
With the theme of “Advocacy In Action,” the fifth-annual Houston Area Insight Expo is open to the public and will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Health and Biomedical Sciences Building. Sponsored by the Houston Area Visually Impaired Network (HAVIN), which just this month received its official designation as a 501(3)c non-profit organization, the event will offer programming, workshops and shared resources for the greater Houston visually impaired community.
The event will encourage collaboration and a sharing of resources. A variety of vendors and organizations who serve the visually impaired community will showcase information and products at the expo. Breakfast will be served, and door prizes will be given away throughout the day.
This year’s keynote speaker is Diego Demaya, an attorney with the Southwest ADA Center, which is the Southwest’s leading resource on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability rights laws. The center is part of the ADA National Network funded by the NIH’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Demaya specializes in labor, education and health care issues and is a member of the Houston Commission on Disabilities and past president of the Houston Council of the Blind.
While walk-ins are welcome, advance registration is encouraged. The cost is $5 for those who register by April 21 and will increase to $10 after that. The pre-registration forms are at https://havintx.wordpress.com/2016/04/09/pre-register-now-for-the-2016-insight-expo/. For questions, contact Alma Balleza, at havin.tx@gmail.com or 713-683-9169. This year, registrants also can pay via iPhone or Android with the Square Cash app, payable to $HAVINTX.
Using the latest technology, training and techniques, the CSE strives to help visually impaired patients achieve independence and an improved quality of life through vision rehabilitation. HAVIN is comprised of various volunteer support groups from across Houston. Its vision is to educate, provide peer support and unify the visually impaired community in the Greater Houston area.
WHAT:
Houston Area Insight Expo 2016
WHEN:
9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 30
WHERE:
University of Houston
Health and Biomedical Sciences Building
4811 Calhoun Road, Entrance 2A
Map: http://www.uh.edu/maps/buildings/?short_name=HBS
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