Winnetka, Chicago Nonprofits Team Up To Provide Support For Vision Loss

WINNETKA, IL — The Chicago Lighthouse and Hadley, two nonprofits that serve people who are blind or visually impaired, have teamed up to create a groundbreaking project that sheds light on the growing need for practical and emotional support for those who lose their vision later in life.

The project includes two complementary video series – Adjusting and Coping Together and Adjusting to Vision Loss: Assistive Technology – that will offer valuable information to those with vision loss around the world. The videos aim to help individuals become more resilient, foster social connections and better navigate daily life and tasks through the use of assistive technology.

A preview of the "Adjusting and Coping Together" series, which features the personal story of one woman's journey with her vision loss, is available on YouTube.

“This partnership allows us to combine The Chicago Lighthouse’s clinical knowledge and technology resources with Hadley’s national reach and strength in creating engaging content," said Johnjoe Farragher, Hadley President and CEO. “Together, we can extend vital resources far beyond Chicagoland and empower older adults everywhere to adapt and thrive as they navigate vision loss.”

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, more than 7 million Americans live with blindness or uncorrectable vision loss. Additionally, one in 10 adults area at high risk for vision loss as conditions like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy become more common.

As individuals start to experience vision loss, it's common to develop anxiety, depression and social isolation. This video series aims to reduce those social and emotional effects while raising awareness for the assistive technology that can change lives.

The three-year project was made possible through a donation from the Forsythe Family Foundation.

“As our population ages, the number of people who will be experiencing vision loss and vision impairment is expected to drastically increase,” Sandra Forsythe said. “My beloved husband, Rick, had macular degeneration, and he benefited greatly from the programs at Hadley and The Chicago Lighthouse. This initiative will help ensure others can have access to those same resources, wherever they are.”