Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax; 713/743-8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2007

Contact: Ann Holdsworth
713/743-8153 (office)
aholdsworth@uh.edu

More than 6.4 million older Americans live with vision loss and experience problems when performing everyday tasks, such as reading and driving.

The University of Houston’s College of Optometry and Prevent Blindness Texas are teaming up to present a one-day conference focusing on vision problems associated with aging.

Held at the Hilton UH Hotel from 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Saturday, June 16, the Texas Multidisciplinary Low Vision Symposium is free to the public, but space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is encouraged by phone at 713-526-2559, or by e-mail at sallen@preventblindnesstexas.org.

“The Continuum of Care,” the theme for the symposium, will cover problems ranging from macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans aged 65 and older, cataracts solutions and tips for improving daily life.

“There are some really small things that can make a tremendous difference,” said Dr. Lylas G. Mogk, the keynote speaker for the symposium. “You need to have good light for anything you want to do, not just reading. You need contrast. If you’re chopping onions, do it on a black cutting board, and if you’re chopping meat, do it on a white cutting board. You need to cut the glare. Use sunglasses with yellow, orange and amber tones to cut the glare without cutting the light.”

The symposium will offer seminars with introductory information for the public and more detailed information for professionals.

Featured speakers include industry heavyweights Mogk, also a practicing ophthalmologist, author and chair of Academy of Ophthalmology’s Low Vision Rehabilitation Committee, and Greg Goodrich, supervisory researcher with the Veterans Administration, author and principle investigator on numerous vision rehabilitation projects.

For more information on Prevent Blindness Texas, visit www.preventblindness.org/TX/.
For more information on the UH College of Optometry, visit www.opt.uh.edu.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.