Media Advisories and Public
Service Announcements
In a press release dated November 15, 2002, the Women’s Eye Health.org
introduced themselves to the press as a concerned group of scientists
and top U.S. vision experts whose mission was to educate people that
two-thirds of legally blind Americans were women, and through education,
we can do something about it!
Vision
Researchers Educate Capitol Hill about Chronic Dry Eye
On February 15th, the WEH.org and Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
(AEVR) cosponsored a US congressional briefing regarding advances and
treatment for chronic dry eye diseases--a growing health problem. WEH.org
Executive Committee member Janine Smith (NIH), WEH.org Advisory Board
member Kelly Nichols (Ohio State Univ) and James Jorkasky of NAEVER/AEVR
spoke to Congressional members and staff. The following is a link to
the press release found on the NAEVR/AEVR
website.
Task Force Formed to Fight Preventable Blindness in Women (PDF)
In a press release dated November 04, 2003, the Women’s Eye Health.org announced their upcoming symposium “Improving Women’s Eye Health: Strategies to Address the Greater Burden of Blindness Among Women,” to be held at the Harvard Club of Boston on November 7, 2003.
First International Conference on Women and Blindness (PDF)
In January 2003, we released two public service announcements asking women to (1) protect their vision and (2) to protect the vision of their family members.
PSA, Protect Your Vision (PDF)
PSA, Protect Family’s Vision (PDF)
Media Coverage
Since the day of our press release, 11/15/02, we have had strong coverage
by the media regarding our mission. On 11/15/02 we were covered by The
Boston Globe and WBZ radio in Boston. Most recently on June 10, 2004,
the 14th report of our cause was released by the news service of The
Society for Women’s Health Research.
| Date | Medium | Author | Title |
| 11/15/02 | The Boston Globe | Stephen Smith, Staff Reporter | "Women found much more likely than men to lose their eyesight. US Task Force seeks reasons" |
| 11/15/02 | WBZ Radio, Boston | Garo Hagopian, Interviewer | Ilene K. Gipson, Ph.D., Interviewee |
| 11/20/02 | Chicago Tribune | Stephen Smith, Boston Globe Reporter | “ Task Force will study women and blindness” |
12/10/02 |
Cox News Service |
Carolyn Susman, Staff Writer | “ Blindness hits women disproportionately” |
| 10/2003 | National Women’s Health Report | Debra L. Gordon, Writer |
“ Women and Eye Health at Midlife” |
| 10/24/03 | Ivanhoe Broadcast News | Not known | “ Eye check for women—smart move” |
| 11/2003 | Ocular Surgery News | Nichole Nader | “ Women around the world share high prevalence of blindness” |
| 2003, Vol. 16, No. 48 | Community Eye Health-An International Journal to Promote Eye Health Worldwide | Victoria Frances | “ Why do women carry the greater burden of blindness, and what can be done?” |
| 01/12/04 |
Women’s eNEWS |
Kathleen Nelson, WeNews Correspondent | “ Women go blind twice as often as men” |
| 01/04 | Optics and Photonics News Magazine | Kim Douglas | “ Scatterings: Most of the blind are women” |
| 02/04 | Eurotimes | Daithi O’hAnluain | “ Researchers explore reasons for higher prevalence of blindness among women” “Tackling gender disparity in Tanzania” “ Major social consequences to poor vision” |
| 02/20/04 | The Boston Globe | Judy Forman, Freelance Columnist | “Dry eyes can cause misery but no tears” |
| 03/04 | Optometry and Vision Science | Not known | “Task force formed to blindness in women” |
| 04/04 | International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Leader Letter | Not known | “Improving women’s eye health” |
Spring/ |
Mom-in-the-Middle (website) |
Christina Baglivi Tinglof | “ To your health: Midlife eyes” |
| 06/10/04 | Society for Women’s Health Research | Jennifer Wider, MD | “ Blindness and vision problems hit women harder.” |
| Winter 2004 | Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Newsletter | Kimberly O'Sullivan, Publications Coordinator | “Special Announcement on the Women's Eye Health Task Force" |
| 09/2004 | Eye Contact: (Schepens Eye Research Institute's Employee Newsletter) | Christine Bagley | “Two-thirds of global population blind and visually impaired are women” |
| 2005 | Editorial ( Curr Opin Ophthalmolol 2005;16:231-232 |
Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD | “The Women's Eye Health Task Force” |
| 05/05/05 | Radio Media Tour (various US radio stations) | WEHTF Interviewee: Debra A. Schaumberg, ScD, OD, MPH | “Mother's Day Eye Care” |
| 06/05 | Editorial, Archivos De La Sociadad Espanola De Oftalmologia | Ilene K Gipson, Ph.D. and Virginia M. Turner, DrPH | “Are women more likely to be blind or visually impaired than men?” |
| Spring 06 | National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR)/ Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) Contributor Report | Unknown (contact James Jorkasky ) | Report of 2/15/06 congressional briefing: “Vision researchers update congressional staff about important advances in understanding and treating chronic dry eye” |
| 04/06 | National Women's Health Report | Debra L. Gordon | “Women and Healthy Vision” |
| 06/06 | Ladies Home Journal | Gwen Kinkead | ãWhat's your eye-Q?ä | 2006 | Optom Vis Sci 2006; 83(10)7. | Letter to editor | The global sex disparity in blindness and visual impairment |
| 06/06 | Ladies Home Journal | Gwen Kinkead | ãWhat's your eye-Q?ä | 01/07 | Los Angeles Times | L.A. Times staff | Interview with Ilene Gipson |
