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February Proclaimed Low Vision Awareness Month

woman look at pill bottle through a magnifier

Every year the National Eye Institute (NEI) designates February as Low Vision Awareness Month. APHVisionAware is partnering with NEI to promote this important event. Why? The numbers of older people with low vision are increasing and are projected to grow dramatically over the next several years.  As noted by the National Eye Institute, “A visual impairment […]

hands tie a bow on a small gift

Gift Wrapping: A Simple Activity With Lifelong Impact

This account is based on a reflection, as an adult, of a childhood experience and how learning to wrap gifts has positively impacted my life. The skills I learned through gift wrapping extend far beyond paper and tape and can be applied to many areas of daily living. Gift wrapping is not limited to holidays. […]

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illustration of a person with long dark hair holding a large red heart close to their chest on a white background.

How Can Self-Compassion Save the Day?

Some days are just harder than others. Not because anything dramatic happens, but because you’re tired of explaining, adjusting, advocating, or holding it all together. For families living with low vision or blindness, these moments are part of everyday life, and this is exactly where self-compassion can heroically save the day. Self-love is about appreciation […]

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Jane Henkler is smiling and sitting inside a plane while her son, Ed, is also smiling and leaning on the wing.

After an AMD Diagnosis: Steps That Helped My Mom Adjust

When the phone rang in the mid-1990s, I didn’t realize it was the start of a chapter that would redefine my life’s work. My mother, Jane Henkler, was on the other end, telling me she had been diagnosed with macular degeneration. At the time, I had no idea what that meant. I just knew that […]

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Headshot of Steve Kelley

My Biggest Fear Was Going Blind – and Yours May Be Too

Editor’s note: The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is conducting a research study seeking U.S.-based adults 55 and older who are experiencing changes in their vision. The aim of the study is to understand what it’s like for older adults to adjust to vision changes and what services can help them. To support this […]

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