Announcing: The scEYEnce Campaign​

The International Retinal Research Foundation is one of a coalition (Vision Research Working Group) of 10 leading organizations that have launched a new media campaign to shine a spotlight on the powerful benefits of vision research.

Approximately 12 million adults currently have significant vision loss or difficulty seeing that cannot be corrected by contacts or glasses, including 1 million who are legally blind.  Vision disability ranks among the top 10 disabilities among people 18 and older, and one national survey notes that people fear vision loss as much or more than losing hearing, memory, speech or a limb.

Groundbreaking science has already produced a stem cell-based therapy in clinical testing for age-related macular degeneration, synthetic lenses that improve the sight of people with cataracts, medications that reduce the pressure within the eye to treat glaucoma, and novel therapies on the horizon for relieving dry eye.  Eye and vision research also provides valuable insights about our overall health, particularly the brain and its vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Innovations generated by eye and vision science are transforming the sight of millions of Americans and reducing the $170 billion annual impact of major vision problems.  “These innovations are allowing millions of blind or visually impaired people to continue to work, contribute to their communities, and live better, fuller lives,” said Iris M. Rush, CAE, Executive Director at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), a scEYEnce coalition member.  “Vision research is an investment in a better future for people of all ages.”

For more, updated information, click here scEYEnce.

The Vision Research Working Group is comprised of 10 organizations dedicated to advancing vision science:

Alliance for Eye and Vision Research emphasizes that National Eye Institute-funded research to save/restore vision has served to reduce healthcare costs, increase productivity, maintain independence, and improve the quality of life for all Americans.

American Academy of Ophthalmology seeks to protect sight and empower lives by serving as an advocate for patients and the public, leading ophthalmic education, and advancing the profession of ophthalmology.

American Macular Degeneration Foundation is a patient-centered foundation that supports potentially game-changing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) research, education and advocacy in order to improve quality of life and treatment outcomes for all those affected by AMD.

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world.  Members include nearly 12,000 eye and vision researchers from more than 75 countries.  ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders.

EyeSight Foundation of Alabama serves as a catalyst to improve eyesight through education, research, and access to care.  Its vision is to make a difference in the eyes of the world.

Foundation Fighting Blindness is the world’s leading private funder of retinal disease research.  Its mission is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments, and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for glaucoma.  For more than 40 years, GRF has worked to advance sight-saving research and provide essential educational resources for patients.

International Retinal Research Foundation provides financial support for vision research to scientists in every corner of the globe, while focusing on discovery of causes, preventions, and cures of macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the federal government’s research on the visual system and eye diseases.  NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and address special needs of people with vision loss.

Research to Prevent Blindness is the leading nonprofit organization supporting eye research directed at the prevention, treatment, or eradication of all diseases that damage and destroy sight.