Study finds they think they’re better able to play sports, be accepted by peers

Compared to glasses, contact lenses improve how children feel about their appearance, their ability to play sports and their acceptance among friends, a study of 484 nearsighted children finds.

“Many studies have examined the effect of spectacle wear on self-perception and the perception of others, but the majority of this research has been conducted on adults,” study leader Jeffrey J. Walline, from Ohio State University’s College of Optometry, said in an American Academy of Optometry news release. “Research shows spectacles to be associated with poorer self-perception in adults if they were first worn during childhood.”

The children in this study, aged 8 to 11, were randomly assigned to wear either glasses (237) or contact lenses (247) for three years. Over that time, the researchers checked for changes in the children’s self-perception in areas such as social acceptance, academic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance and behavioral conduct.

By the end of the study, children with contact lenses had significantly higher scores of self-perceived physical appearance, athletic competence and social acceptance. Academic confidence was higher for contact lens wearers who initially disliked wearing glasses.

The study, published in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, received funding from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. and The Vision Care Institute, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson Co.

“Published studies have shown glasses to be associated with negative attributes in areas of self-perception and attractiveness, so it was not surprising that children’s physical appearance self-perception benefits from contact lens wear,” study co-author Mitchell J. Prinstein, director of clinical physiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said in the news release.

The finding that children wearing contact lenses felt better about their athletic ability “are consistent with the growing body of research in this area demonstrating that contact lenses significantly improve how children feel about participating in activities such as sports,” Walline noted.

“Anecdotally, children may participate in recreational activities without vision correction rather than risk breaking their glasses. Unlike glasses, contact lenses provide clear vision without impairing peripheral vision, so children may feel that their athletic competence improves, because they can see more clearly while participating in recreational activities,” he said.

Researchers used a new imaging technique to take high quality color photographs of the clinical stages of ocular inflammation in mice, and the technology could help in the monitoring and treatment of diseases of the eye that may cause blindness.

The study, “The Clinical Time-Course of Experimental Autoimmune Uveoretinitis Using Topical Endoscopic Fundal Imaging with Histologic and Cellular Infiltrate Correlation,” was published in the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2008 49: 5458-5465).

It featured the use of Topical Endoscopic Fundal Imaging (TEFI), a technique that uses an endoscope with parallel illumination and observation channels connected to a digital camera. TEFI was developed by Michel Paques, et al (see Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2007 48: 2769-2774).

David Copland, BSc, MSc, and the team from the University of Bristol’s Academic Unit of Ophthalmology monitored changes in the mice retina over time without distress to the animals or the need for anesthesia.

“TEFI enhances our monitoring of clinical disease in a rapid and non-invasive fashion,” the researchers reported. “It will aid in the design of experimental protocols according to clinical observations.”

The study focused on a condition similar to human posterior uveitis, which can be difficult to monitor using present techniques. TEFI allowed the researchers to see changes to the eye that were previously undetectable.

The researchers wrote that TEFI can help monitor the effects of new ocular therapies, as well as invasive procedures such as intravitreal or sub-retinal injections.

Though the method will be a helpful resource to improving detection, Copland’s team said the technology should be used in conjunction with existing techniques for monitoring the progression of eye diseases.

“Combined TEFI and histological methods enable the observation of clinical features and severity of disease, but information regarding the dynamics, phenotype, function and quantity of cellular traffic through the eye is only provided through detailed analysis of cell populations present in the eye at various stages of disease progression.”

Notes:

ARVO is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include more than 12,500 eye and vision researchers from over 73 countries. The Association encourages and assists research, training, publication and dissemination of knowledge in vision and ophthalmology. For more information, visit http://www.arvo.org

Early detection is critical to maintain healthy vision. With almost two-thirds of adult Americans, who do not wear corrective lenses, not receiving regular comprehensive eye exams, millions of people are putting their vision and their quality of life at risk, according to the American Optometric Association.

Glaucoma — often called “the sneak thief of sight” because it can strike without symptoms — is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. According to National Eye Institute, more than 3 million Americans have glaucoma, but only half of them know it. Glaucoma most often occurs in people over age 40. People who are very nearsighted, diabetic or who have a family history of glaucoma are also at high risk for the disease.

According to the American Optometric Association’s 2007 American Eye-Q(R) survey, 67 percent of Americans believe that glaucoma is preventable. In reality, the disease cannot be prevented, although it is treatable if caught in the early stages. The annual American Eye-Q(R) survey identifies attitudes and behaviors of Americans regarding eye care and related issues.

“Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the internal pressure in your eyes increases enough to damage nerve fibers in your optic nerve and cause vision loss,” said Dr. Tanya Carter, AOA’s Glaucoma Eye Care Expert and State University of New York College of Optometry professor. “The most common type of glaucoma develops gradually and painlessly, without symptoms. A rarer type occurs rapidly, and its symptoms may include blurred vision, loss of side vision, seeing colored rings around lights, and pain or redness in the eyes.”

Since vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, regular, comprehensive eye examinations are important for people at risk. A comprehensive optometric examination includes a tonometry test to measure pressure in the eyes; an examination of the inside of the eyes and optic nerves; and a visual field test to check for changes in central and side vision.

Treatment for glaucoma includes prescription eye drops and medicines to lower pressure in the eyes. In some cases, laser treatment or surgery may be effective in reducing pressure.

“Glaucoma cannot be prevented, but if diagnosed and treated early, it can be controlled to prevent or slow continued vision loss,” said Dr. Tanya Carter. “Losing your sight can be devastating, so there is no substitute for doing all you can to maintain your eye health through regular exams.”

To find an optometrist in your area, or for additional information on eye health, specifically glaucoma, please visit http://www.aoa.org.

About the American Optometric Association (AOA):

The American Optometric Association represents more than 34,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians. Optometrists serve patients in nearly 6,500 communities across the country, and in 3,500 of those communities are the only eye doctors.

American Optometric Association doctors of optometry are highly qualified, trained doctors on the frontline of eye and vision care who examine, diagnose, treat and manage diseases and disorders of the eye. In addition to providing eye and vision care, optometrists play a major role in a patient’s overall health and well-being by detecting systemic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Doctors of optometry have the skills and training to provide more than two-thirds of all primary eye care in the United States.

Prior to optometry school, optometrists undergo three to four years of undergraduate study that typically culminates in a Bachelor of Science degree in a field such as biology or chemistry. Optometry school consists of four years of post-graduate, doctoral study concentrating on both the eye and systemic health. In addition to their formal training, doctors of optometry must undergo annual continuing education to stay current on the latest standards of care. For more information, visit http://www.aoa.org.

American Optometric Association

http://www.aoa.org

Glaucoma is a stealthy illness; most people have no early symptoms and do not notice as their peripheral vision diminishes or blind spots occur. As a result, about half of the three million Americans with the disease are unaware of their condition. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and through the EyeSmart(TM) Campaign, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, want to remind people that knowing your risk for the disease can save your sight. If untreated, glaucoma ultimately results in blindness.

“Glaucoma can be a ‘sneak thief’ illness, and currently there is no treatment to restore vision once it’s lost,” said Kuldev Singh, MD, MPH, Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Glaucoma Service at Stanford University School of Medicine, and clinical correspondent for the Academy. “But when we catch glaucoma early and closely monitor and treat people, we can significantly slow its progression and minimize vision loss.”

Because glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness, the American Glaucoma Society and the Glaucoma Research Foundation are joining the Academy and EyeCare America in urging Americans to know their risks for the disease.

Among Americans, higher risk groups include those of African or Hispanic heritage and others with a family history of the illness. Elderly individuals with African ancestry are five times more likely to develop glaucoma and 14 to 17 times more likely to become blind than similar aged individuals with European ancestry. The risk for Hispanic Americans rises markedly after age 60. Those of any ethnicity who have a family history of the illness are four to nine times more susceptible.

A national survey commissioned in 2007 by the Academy for the EyeSmart campaign found that only 24 percent of people in ethnic groups at higher risk for glaucoma were aware of their risk, and only 16 percent of those with a family history of eye disease, including glaucoma, could correctly identify the risk factors for those diseases.

Other glaucoma risk factors include aging, nearsightedness, previous eye injuries, steroid use, and health conditions including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and migraine headache.

For individuals with symptoms of or at risk for eye diseases like glaucoma, the Academy recommends that they see their ophthalmologist to determine how frequently their eyes should be examined. The Academy recommends that those with no symptoms or risk factors for eye disease get a baseline screening at age 40 when the signs of disease and change in vision may start to occur.

About Glaucoma

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, the part of the eye that carries the images we see to the brain. As glaucoma worsens, cells die in the retina — a special, light-sensitive area of the eye — reducing the optic nerve’s ability to relay visual information to the brain. In the most common form of the disease, open-angle glaucoma, peripheral vision usually narrows, then other blank spots occur in the visual field. Symptoms of the less common but more acutely dangerous form of the disease, closed-angle glaucoma, include blurred vision, severe eye pain and headache, rainbow-colored halos around lights, and nausea and vomiting. Anyone with these symptoms needs to be seen by an Eye M.D. right away.

More information on glaucoma and how to preserve vision, as well as how to access care, is available on the Academy-sponsored web site http://www.geteyesmart.org. Additional information is also available at the American Glaucoma Society web site, http://www.glaucomaweb.org, and at the Glaucoma Research Foundation web site, http://www.glaucoma.org.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world’s largest association of eye physicians and surgeons-Eye M.D.s-with more than 27,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” — opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy’s web site at http://www.aao.org.

American Academy of Ophthalmology

http://www.aao.org

Schepens Eye Research Institute has named Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, this year’s Man of Vision for his advocacy on behalf of veterans blinded by war and for research to restore their vision.

Its highest honor, each year the Institute gives the Man of Vision Award to an individual who has made lasting contributions to vision research and the awareness of the challenges of vision loss. Among previous awardees have been jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, journalist and Time Magazine’s managing editor Henry Grunwald, and Boston philanthropist Dick Harte.

For more than 30 years, Murtha of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has pushed for medical research partnerships that target the specific needs of war fighters and veterans. Most recently, his initiatives have helped the Department of Defense respond proactively to the increasing number of eye injuries suffered by American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In accepting the award from Schepens officials last week, Murtha said, “We owe our troops more than just a debt of gratitude. We owe them the best care this country has to offer, today and in the future. Investing in vision research is an important part of making sure we can offer the care they need.” Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern, an avid Schepens supporter, was on hand for the award presentation.

Massachusetts Congressmen Mike Capuano and Stephen Lynch, who have long been champions of vision research at Schepens, also voiced their support for this recognition of Murtha’s advocacy. “Congressman Murtha’s commitment to vision research is critical to addressing the health needs of the men and women who have given so much for this country,” said Capuano. “Without question, Mr. Murtha’s efforts will not only benefit our returning veterans but will also relieve the suffering of millions of people who are affected by serious eye injuries and diseases throughout the world,” added Lynch.

Experts estimate that between 16 and 20 percent of returning soldiers have eye injuries, and many of those with traumatic brain injuries are also experiencing vision complications. Much higher than in previous wars, the incidence of eye injuries has been the result of the wide use of Improvised Explosive Devices and advanced armor technology that saves lives by shielding the body’s core, but does little to protect the face and extremities.

Well-respected for his firsthand knowledge of military and defense issues, Murtha has been a trusted adviser to presidents of both political parties. In response to the flood of military eye injuries seen at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Murtha initiated a research partnership between the Department of Defense and Schepens Eye Research Institute, the country’s largest eye research institute. The success of this partnership–which stimulated study of issues ranging from nerve regeneration to enhanced heads-up displays to warn soldiers in the battlefield–has encouraged DoD to build a vision research program, which now includes additional partners from around the country.

“With Congressman Murtha’s encouragement and leadership, we have been able to show that nerve regeneration is, in fact, possible,” notes Dr. Michael S. Gilmore, President and CEO of Schepens and Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. “This work, which has been funded through his efforts, is exciting scientifically, and opens the way for new treatments not only for optic nerves and retinas damaged in combat, but also for veterans who have suffered spinal and brain injuries on the battlefield.”

About a year ago no doctor would believe that it was possible, but today it is becoming a mainstream procedure. Inpatient & Outpatient Clinics such as Hospitals, Emergency Rooms, Nursing & Elderly Homes, General & Specialty Practitioners are joining Ophthalmologists and Optometrists with “Provocative Test for Glaucoma”.

BiCOM Inc. and its unique, FDA approved Tonometer Diaton now make it possible to safely and easily screen for Glaucoma through the Eyelid with no contact with the Cornea using a small hand-held device and without the use of Anesthetic drops.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one in three Americans will suffer some form of age-related eye disease by age 65, one in two by age 80, but unfortunately few individuals are concerned with or even aware of their risk factors including their family history, ethnicity, undiagnosed diabetes and glaucoma.

By 2020, 43 million Americans will suffer significant vision loss or even blindness, the Academy predicts. Aside from protecting the eyes from accidents, early detection and treatment of vision-threatening problems is the Key to protecting one’s sight and quality of life for later years.

Because eye disease in most cases advances without pain or symptoms, warning signs may go undiagnosed until someone can’t read their morning paper, drive to the store, visit their doctor, or see the digits on their telephone. By having the eyes examined, especially for persons over the age of 40 will provide an early enough detection if glaucoma is indeed present.

Glaucoma is treatable, especially the acute form, and even if that is present, proper immediate treatment will restore normal vision. In chronic glaucoma, early detection is the only known cure at this time. Mr. Iospa, CEO of BiCOM Inc., has pointed out, “With the introduction of our unique tonometer Diaton, we’re proud to challenge Glaucoma, a ‘silent thief of sight’, that carries an ever increasing threat of causing blindness as the aging population is growing in the U.S. and abroad.”

Mr. Iospa added, “Medical doctors and Eye doctors must communicate. Adding this simple and safe procedure by using Diaton tonometer [Proactive Test for Glaucoma] would make the distance disappear, hopefully in time to save the patients eyesight…”

Eye doctors should also be ready to assist their colleagues in medicine with answers on Glaucoma and other eye related conditions, as well as being able to provide adequate care for the newly referred patients.

Diaton tonometer is delivered complete with training Video/DVD describing full procedure step-by-step in addition to the Test/Training Eye™ which is included with each unit.

BiCOM Inc. also provides professional phone based support and training.

About BiCOM Inc.

BiCOM, with its 15 years of tradition and global clientele, has proven to be the enterprise of the highest level of professionalism, integrity and financial solvency. A unique team of engineers, medical, legal and business experts makes BiCOM Inc. the right place for global talent to find support and guidance.

BiCOM Inc. currently represents and supports Diaton tonometer in over 30 countries.

More about BiCOM at http://www.TonometerDiaton.com

Pfizer Limited expresses concern that the latest NICE appraisal consultation document (ACD) regarding the use of treatments for wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), fails to provide any treatment choice for patients or physicians, by recommending only one anti-VEGF therapy for AMD.

NICE’s second ACD again fails to recommend Macugen(R) (pegaptanib) for patients affected by wet AMD in England and Wales, in stark contrast to Scotland where the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approved its use.

Macugen works in a different, selective way to the sole recommended anti-VEGF treatment ranibizumab; like it, Macugen is licensed to treat all forms of wet AMD, and offers the potential to preserve the sight of those AMD patients for whom ranibizumab is clinically inappropriate. Without effective treatment for their AMD, these patients risk losing their sight.

Steve Winyard, Head of Public Policy at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) commented: ‘We welcome NICE’s proposed changes as a major way forward in providing treatment to thousands of people with wet AMD. However, we would like NICE to reconsider its recommendation not to allow the use of Macugen on the NHS. Doctors should be able to choose between the available licensed treatments, based on their clinical judgement of what is in the best interest of the individual patient. This is the position in Scotland and patients in England and Wales deserve no less.’

This view was echoed by Andrew Lotery, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Southampton, who commented: ‘In my opinion, both of the licensed anti-VEGF treatments should be made available to ophthalmologists. It should be at the discretion of the physician to decide which anti-VEGF medication is most clinically appropriate for a given patient.’

There are approximately 26,000 new cases of wet AMD in the UK each year and AMD is the leading cause of sight-loss for people over the age of 50 in the Western world.

Dr David Gillen, Medical Director at Pfizer Limited said: ‘Pfizer is extremely disappointed that this second ACD does not recommend the use of Macugen. Throughout the appraisal process Pfizer’s position has been clear – patients and their physicians should have a choice over which anti-VEGF treatment is appropriate for individual patients – one treatment does not fit all. Macugen has been shown to maintain vision in patients with all types of wet AMD and has a licence to reflect this. It is unacceptable that patients in England and Wales should still be denied the choices that patients in Scotland have.’

About Pfizer

Pfizer Inc, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines in 11 therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular, pain, neuroscience and infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Pfizer is also the world’s largest animal health company.

Pfizer Inc employs approximately 90,000 colleagues worldwide, all of whom are devoted to working for a healthier world. Pfizer conducts more biomedical research than any other organisation, and has 12,000 professionals working in six major R&D sites worldwide, including Sandwich in Kent. Pfizer’s annual UK R&D investment is more than £550 million – more than £10 million a week.

In the UK, Pfizer has its European R&D headquarters at Sandwich and its UK business headquarters in Surrey, and is the major supplier of medicines to the NHS.

http://www.pfizer.com

Medecins Sans Frontieres on Saturday called on pharmaceutical company Roche to provide its oral antibiotic valganciclovir at a reduced cost in developing countries to help prevent a virus that can cause blindness among people living with HIV/AIDS, Reuters reports.

Cytomegalovirus retinitis — which can cause blindness within three to six months in people living with HIV/AIDS — occurs in about 25% of people with advanced AIDS in developing countries — such as Cambodia, Myanmar and China — MSF said. The group said that CMV retinitis easily is diagnosed and that valganciclovir — sold under the brand name Valcyte — is an effective treatment. However, the drug is too costly for agencies to supply it to people living with the disease in developing countries, according to MSF.

Roche said that compared with costs in developed countries, it offers Valcyte in developing countries at the lowest possible cost for long-term provision and on the same terms as its antiretroviral drugs, Reuters reports. Roche has offered to provide aid agencies with Valcyte at a reduced cost of $1,900 for a four-month course, but MSF said the price is too high and excludes many countries where the problem is most widespread. The cost of the drug has forced MSF into “tough compromises,” Reuters reports. The group uses treatment options in Thailand that include intravenous treatment or injecting drugs directly into the eyes. MSF pays more than $10,000 for a four-month course of Valcyte per patient in China.

Valcyte primarily is used to prevent CMV retinitis in organ transplant patients in developed countries, Roche said. “For this reason, Roche has to ensure its long-term commitments for transplant patients globally whilst helping to increase access to Valcyte for AIDS patients in the poorest countries of the world,” Roche spokesperson Martina Rupp said, adding, “Based upon the not insignificant patient need and the fact that treatment duration cannot necessarily be assumed to be consistently short,” the company considers “drug donations of Valcyte to be neither feasible or sustainable” (Cage, Reuters, 12/3).

Tido von Schoen-Angerer, head of MSF’s essential medicines campaign, in a statement said, “This is a classic case of the vicious circle.” He added that because the “price of the drug is so high, HIV programs aren’t screening and therefore are not reporting large numbers of CMV patients. But since on paper there are so few patients, bringing down the price of this treatment and ensuring its availability has never been a priority” (MSF release, 11/30). There is an “urgent need for Roche to both extend their discounted prices to all developing countries and to lower this price further,” MSF said (Reuters, 12/3).

CMV Retinitis Screening Should Be Included in Routine HIV/AIDS Care, Study Says
In related news, screening for CMV retinitis should be incorporated into routine HIV/AIDS care in developing countries, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of PLoS Medicine, SciDev.net reports. For the study, David Heiden, an ophthalmologist at the California Pacific Medical Center, and colleagues examined retinal screening of 325 people with AIDS who attended MSF clinics in Cambodia, Myanmar, South Africa, Thailand and Uganda. They found 20% of patients had CMV retinitis, and additional studies showed that 37% of individual eyes were blind because of the disease. Health care for HIV/AIDS in developing countries rarely includes routine screening for the disease, which can remain latent or be triggered by factors such as HIV.

The World Health Organization has not included CMV retinitis in its guidelines for management of HIV in developing countries or in its Vision 2020 blindness program, according to the authors. “CMV has been ignored in resource-poor settings, but must be in the list,” Heiden said.

The initial step toward addressing CMV retinitis is to train health workers to use an indirect ophthalmoscope — a fast, low-cost device that eliminates the need for special eye tests — according to the study. The second step is treatment, the authors write, adding that although Valcyte is an “effective treatment” for CMV retinitis, it is a “single-source monopoly product priced at a level that is absurdly unrealistic. The medication needs to [be] made available and affordable” (Garcia/Pratchaya, SciDev.net, 12/3).

The study is available online.

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved

Genentech’s plan to limit the availability of cancer drug Avastin, which would require physicians to use a more expensive version of the drug called Lucentis to treat wet age-related macular degeneration, will cost taxpayers $1 billion to $3 billion annually, according to Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Bloomberg/New York Times reports (Bloomberg/New York Times, 11/29). Genentech officials are considering a plan under which wholesalers no longer would distribute Avastin to compounding pharmacies, which divide vials of the medication into small portions for use in the eye. Genentech also manufactures the similar drug Lucentis, which FDA last year approved as a treatment for the eye disease, the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. Both Avastin and Lucentis block the growth of blood vessels. Lucentis costs $1,950 per dose, about 100 times more than the cost of the dose of Avastin required to treat the eye disease.

In letters to CMS and FDA that were made public on Wednesday, Kohl wrote the company’s decision “is of great concern to me.” Kohl also wrote a letter to Genentech informing them of a future investigation by his staff of the Avastin restrictions. In a statement, Genentech said, “The request is a voluntary request for information,” adding, “Genentech intends to cooperate with Sen. Kohl’s request for information and work closely with committee staff to answer their questions.”

According to the Contra Costa Times, some have requested that Genentech conduct a study comparing the two drugs, but it has no plans to do so. Company spokesperson Krysta Pellegrino said, “For Genentech, we think our resources would be better spent to continue to do research in unmet patient needs.” She added, “We believe that we’ve already shown that Lucentis is the right treatment for this eye disease” (Morrill, Contra Costa Times, 11/29). The National Eye Institute is financing a two-year study comparing the effectiveness of the two treatments (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/6/06).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

At a reception in the European Parliament last night, the Vision=E3 Partnership called for a more united approach to the training and employment of blind and partially sighted people in the workplace. The Parliamentary reception brought together MEPs, Commission officials and NGOs, who discussed best practices and a list of positive actions that Europe can take to improve the current situation.

“By sharing experiences, comparing and contrasting the employment situations of blind and partially sighted people in the respective partner countries, the Vision=E3 partnership has arrived at common solutions for the future, and developed several common calls to action for politicians and NGOs”, said Andy Taylor, coordinator of the Vision=E3 Partnership. “I’m delighted to be here in the European Parliament with representatives to share what we have learned through this important and fruitful partnership”.

The Vision=E3 partnership recommendations for positive action focus on a number of areas, including Employment, ICT Training, Daily Living Skills, Training, eAccessibility, Enterprise Support as well as Social Assistance and Benefits.

Through this partnership, a number of reports have also been developed covering:

- Good practice on the range of models of integrated employment;
- Comparisons of partner training programmes;
- Recommendations for future practice;
- Recommendations on internet information systems,
- A statistical report on data of visually impaired people in the partner countries

About the Vision=E3 Partnership

Funded by the European Social Fund, the Vision=E³ partnership comprises various organisations across Europe:

- Visage (United Kingdom);
- Tyfloemploy (Czech Republic);
- Sizar (Slovakia);
- Partnership for improving access of the blind to the labour market (Poland);
- Per Linguas Mundi (Poland)