A SPECIAL INTERESTSECTION BY MEDIAPLANET Readmoatheainaigcaa Preventable Vision Loss Due to the Pandemic D. Ken D. Gordon he COVID-19 pan In April 2020, he Canadian tegular appointments due to the cted negative impact on those demic has brutaly Councl of the Bind (CCB) con pandemic. This means tutmany aflected. the CCB, together wit exposed those ving ducted a survey of people ving patients wil have imeversibly lost oher members of Retina Action with vision impairmert with vision loss across Canada vision by the time their disease is aglobal coaition of organizatons concemed with vision koss, s cal- ing on govemments in Canada and around the world to develop plans that provide addtiona cemed mat they A the same time, both ophthal support for the provision of eye to even greater stress than the in order o better understand dagnosed and treated sighted community due to social heimpact of COVID-19 onther distancing requirements, impacting their abilty ives. Many respondents Access in the time of said they were con- coVID-19 to negotiate the out doors and publi spaces. Many of those who reed reporting that up to being able to see once the pandemic is over and ing for eye examinations eye istance are no one third of patients their eye doctor. the backog of patients clamours injections or medications for the might lose vision mologists and optometrists fear care at this time. Such plans asa resut of not hat they may become ampedshould include additional fund Cliniciansare aremissing thoir Injection visits. longer ableto leave One respondent to receive their eye injections or treatment of WAMD, DME, and commented I need eye examinations. injections every four glaucoma and addional cata- A study conducted by he act surgeries. Furthermore, irs their homes, lead ing to greater solitude depression, and the potential for weeks in order to maintain my Canadian Medical Association essential hat people ving with further sght loss curent visual acuity IfI get sick shows a signiticant decrease in vision loss be given priority wet he number of calaract surgeries epect to COVID-19 vaconation moegulam ate. His work of doing injections and a comesponding inorease in eye doctor vists and treatments. Adequate treatment requi ntn t eomed during the pand beblethemtoretumo regular care Twoolthe major causes of vision for wAMD is an essential ser he wat imes for surgery. This andtominimize the isolation and loss among older adults, wet vice for me and for many others means that people needing cata loneliness that hose with vision age-related macular degenera Whats more. control of vision ract surgery will unnecessarily loss are ounertyeperiencing e ton wAMDjand dabetic macular loss due to wAMD, DME or gau lose vision while they wait for edema (DME). require regular coma reles on early dagnosis injections into the eye to preventnd treatment of the disease some of the deleterious effects further vision deterioration In Early diagnosis is achieved of vision loss, such as fals and spite of the dre contequences hrough a complete eye exam dirical depression that may be experienced due to ination by an optometrist or patents mssing ther injections, ophthalmologist t's therefore eye diseases back to the cnic to cinicians are reporting that upto particularly conceming that celve their schedued sightsa darden one third of patients are missing optometrists report hat up to 50 ing care. prevent avoidable Credanna their injection visits surgery and may be at risk of To safely bring patients with percent of their patients missed bindnens, and reduce the anso- Mar sha er he Partially-Sighted Reporter Speaks from the Heart to the Community Acca Papmehi very day is an oppor Discovering AMI helped tunity to educate rebuld confidence and people." says Julie setworth Martin, a commun- Martin, 50, a resident of Pictou han struggled with certain chal- home more, which adds to their more confidence t ve me, and result, many visuallyimpaired t made me realize that I waunt people rety on others for shop- he only one who felt ike this or ping and errands and stay a ay reporter with Accessible County, NS. is partaly-sighted lenges." she says Media Inc. (AMI). a not-for herself, Born with retinitis profit media company serving pigmentosa, a progressive munity reporter, she's hearing ible programming helps keep the blind and partialy-sighted disease that causes gradual other people's stories and lis- Canadians connected. Martin's community. An unconventional disintegration of the retina, opportunity to do that pre- Martin at first chose to ignore Canada. Tmtaking what they're partalysighedcommunity? sented itself recently when a her consbon - until age: bout of pleurisy landed Martin when doctors told her she was my ie." says M in the ER minutes before her logally blind. She struggled with gives me the ability to educano know its theretom new hech scheduled weekly broadcast inolation, set-aorth, and daily the sighted community, who nologies ik adaptve tps for your on AMi-audio's Kelly and Com- wing chalenges for years unti are trying so hard to ensure cane to how to set up incusive pany. "They were about to do 2012, when she decovered AMI accessibility and inclusion of the programsinthe communty'e a chest X-tay and I asked the while visiting triends. "1houg disability community." doctor if they could postpone was just briliant" she says n for 15 minutes unti after isolation says Martin Now, as an AMI-audo com AM's inclusive and access tening to reports from across advice to others in the bind and 31. saying and uning that to improve check it out There's so much s Martin. "R also youte missing out onif you don't Martin began tuning in to COVID-19 exacerbates daily Lem oeatohon AM e conterts eviing the ves of e AMI-t and AMI-audio regu- ving and isolation challenges bind and partly t communty tled my report." says Martin The doctor and nurse istened larly. soon after becoming a in another room, afterwards member of the AMIl research world by feel, the need to physic- expressing awe at the program panel and offering feedback. ally distance and avoid touching and how they planned to tell which was incorporated into things due to the COviD-19 their partially-sighted family For people who navigate thendheg et eted -mpecialy unng the COVD-t pandemic-ty ing a.ce the artoe w sponsored y AM pandemic makes independent AIML the company's programming The more l watched AM-. the ving that much harder, "As a members about AMI A SPECIAL INTERESTSECTION BY MEDIAPLANET Readmoatheainaigcaa Preventable Vision Loss Due to the Pandemic D. Ken D. Gordon he COVID-19 pan In April 2020, he Canadian tegular appointments due to the cted negative impact on those demic has brutaly Councl of the Bind (CCB) con pandemic. This means tutmany aflected. the CCB, together wit exposed those ving ducted a survey of people ving patients wil have imeversibly lost oher members of Retina Action with vision impairmert with vision loss across Canada vision by the time their disease is aglobal coaition of organizatons concemed with vision koss, s cal- ing on govemments in Canada and around the world to develop plans that provide addtiona cemed mat they A the same time, both ophthal support for the provision of eye to even greater stress than the in order o better understand dagnosed and treated sighted community due to social heimpact of COVID-19 onther distancing requirements, impacting their abilty ives. Many respondents Access in the time of said they were con- coVID-19 to negotiate the out doors and publi spaces. Many of those who reed reporting that up to being able to see once the pandemic is over and ing for eye examinations eye istance are no one third of patients their eye doctor. the backog of patients clamours injections or medications for the might lose vision mologists and optometrists fear care at this time. Such plans asa resut of not hat they may become ampedshould include additional fund Cliniciansare aremissing thoir Injection visits. longer ableto leave One respondent to receive their eye injections or treatment of WAMD, DME, and commented I need eye examinations. injections every four glaucoma and addional cata- A study conducted by he act surgeries. Furthermore, irs their homes, lead ing to greater solitude depression, and the potential for weeks in order to maintain my Canadian Medical Association essential hat people ving with further sght loss curent visual acuity IfI get sick shows a signiticant decrease in vision loss be given priority wet he number of calaract surgeries epect to COVID-19 vaconation moegulam ate. His work of doing injections and a comesponding inorease in eye doctor vists and treatments. Adequate treatment requi ntn t eomed during the pand beblethemtoretumo regular care Twoolthe major causes of vision for wAMD is an essential ser he wat imes for surgery. This andtominimize the isolation and loss among older adults, wet vice for me and for many others means that people needing cata loneliness that hose with vision age-related macular degenera Whats more. control of vision ract surgery will unnecessarily loss are ounertyeperiencing e ton wAMDjand dabetic macular loss due to wAMD, DME or gau lose vision while they wait for edema (DME). require regular coma reles on early dagnosis injections into the eye to preventnd treatment of the disease some of the deleterious effects further vision deterioration In Early diagnosis is achieved of vision loss, such as fals and spite of the dre contequences hrough a complete eye exam dirical depression that may be experienced due to ination by an optometrist or patents mssing ther injections, ophthalmologist t's therefore eye diseases back to the cnic to cinicians are reporting that upto particularly conceming that celve their schedued sightsa darden one third of patients are missing optometrists report hat up to 50 ing care. prevent avoidable Credanna their injection visits surgery and may be at risk of To safely bring patients with percent of their patients missed bindnens, and reduce the anso- Mar sha er he Partially-Sighted Reporter Speaks from the Heart to the Community Acca Papmehi very day is an oppor Discovering AMI helped tunity to educate rebuld confidence and people." says Julie setworth Martin, a commun- Martin, 50, a resident of Pictou han struggled with certain chal- home more, which adds to their more confidence t ve me, and result, many visuallyimpaired t made me realize that I waunt people rety on others for shop- he only one who felt ike this or ping and errands and stay a ay reporter with Accessible County, NS. is partaly-sighted lenges." she says Media Inc. (AMI). a not-for herself, Born with retinitis profit media company serving pigmentosa, a progressive munity reporter, she's hearing ible programming helps keep the blind and partialy-sighted disease that causes gradual other people's stories and lis- Canadians connected. Martin's community. An unconventional disintegration of the retina, opportunity to do that pre- Martin at first chose to ignore Canada. Tmtaking what they're partalysighedcommunity? sented itself recently when a her consbon - until age: bout of pleurisy landed Martin when doctors told her she was my ie." says M in the ER minutes before her logally blind. She struggled with gives me the ability to educano know its theretom new hech scheduled weekly broadcast inolation, set-aorth, and daily the sighted community, who nologies ik adaptve tps for your on AMi-audio's Kelly and Com- wing chalenges for years unti are trying so hard to ensure cane to how to set up incusive pany. "They were about to do 2012, when she decovered AMI accessibility and inclusion of the programsinthe communty'e a chest X-tay and I asked the while visiting triends. "1houg disability community." doctor if they could postpone was just briliant" she says n for 15 minutes unti after isolation says Martin Now, as an AMI-audo com AM's inclusive and access tening to reports from across advice to others in the bind and 31. saying and uning that to improve check it out There's so much s Martin. "R also youte missing out onif you don't Martin began tuning in to COVID-19 exacerbates daily Lem oeatohon AM e conterts eviing the ves of e AMI-t and AMI-audio regu- ving and isolation challenges bind and partly t communty tled my report." says Martin The doctor and nurse istened larly. soon after becoming a in another room, afterwards member of the AMIl research world by feel, the need to physic- expressing awe at the program panel and offering feedback. ally distance and avoid touching and how they planned to tell which was incorporated into things due to the COviD-19 their partially-sighted family For people who navigate thendheg et eted -mpecialy unng the COVD-t pandemic-ty ing a.ce the artoe w sponsored y AM pandemic makes independent AIML the company's programming The more l watched AM-. the ving that much harder, "As a members about AMI