Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington

POB is committed to creating, expanding, and adapting sight-saving services based on the needs of our community, as voiced directly by those we serve. POB is Greater Washington’s vision health leader and educator, dedicated not only to blindness prevention, but to the improvement and preservation of sight and quality of life for all community members.

Each year, POB screens more than 8,000 children for vision loss and strabismus and thousands of adults for glaucoma. These screening services cover a wide range of needs, sometimes resulting in early detection and treatment that could prevent or slow vision loss. Early detection gives a person the best chance to prevent blindness and preserve sight. Many children and adults that POB assists do not receive annual physicals and eye exams, which means we provide their only vision assistance.

POB operates an eyeglasses clinic in Northeast D.C. for its Eyeglasses for the Needy program, which provides affordable eyeglasses to thousands of low-income and homeless community members each year. It also offers Low Vision Rehabilitation and Resource Navigation. which helps community members with low vision retain their independence through low vision examinations, personalized vision rehabilitation, and navigation from a trained professional. POB sponsors the Low Vision Resource & Support Group Network that provides public programs and support groups for those living with low vision.

Education for individuals dealing with vision loss is an invaluable resource to help them make the most of what sight they have. POB regularly sponsors programs that address issues that are important to these individuals as well as their loved ones and facilitates several support and discussion groups to give these individuals a venue to learn and share with others facing vision loss. POB also offers programs to educate the public about eye health and topics related to vision loss.

Providing the public with the latest eye health information and low vision resources helps community members make informed decisions. With workshops, guest speakers, information on local resources, Low Vision Learning Centers, print publications and more, POB can offer the community vision health education from a trusted source.

Annually, POB impacts 13,000 community members through our suite of evidence-based programs - including vision acuity and glaucoma screenings, eyeglasses distributions and fittings, educational vision resources and events, low vision rehabilitation services and support group networks - and more. Our commitment to comprehensive vision health, ethical commitment to service within the community, deep respect for patients and families in all circumstances, innovation in service delivery, and ability to serve as a facilitator among our medical and social service peers distinguish POB in the region, which we provide through a series of community initiatives.

POB provides screenings for more than 5,000 preschool-age children each year through our Preschool-Age Children’s Vision Screening program. Screening at a young age can result in early detection and treatment that could prevent or slow vision loss. POB’s program handles all referrals of children not passing the vision tests, and also provides resource information and counseling to their families.

POB provides free screenings, examinations, and prescription eyeglasses to more than 2,000 school-age children in unserved and underserved communities with our School-Age Children’s Vision Screening program and the Pediatric Mobile Clinic. A volunteer licensed eye doctor then provides a free on-site ophthalmic evaluation. Children identified with a need for further evaluation are referred to Children’s National Health System.

POB’s Adult Glaucoma and Visual Acuity Screening provides free glaucoma and visual acuity screenings to adults in the area at workplaces, places of worship, community health events, etc. Early detection and treatment are important to slow the progression of this severe blinding disease.

Our Adult Eyeglasses Program provides prescription eyeglasses to individuals in-need at low- or no-cost. In the mobile program, POB provides services on-site of another nonprofit organization, in an effort to remove time and transportation as barriers to quality care.

The Low Vision Resource & Support Group Network addresses the issues of isolationism among those with visual impairment by providing emotional and social support, as well as providing eye health education, technology resource sharing, and adaptations one can make to individuals facing vision loss. Meetings are held at community-based locations including retirement facilities, community centers, libraries, and via telephone.

POB offers a variety of services for people with low vision, including examinations and personalized rehabilitation programs, administered by an optometrist specializing in low vision. POB supports the only full-time low vision rehabilitation practice in the area, a program desperately needed in the D.C. Metropolitan region that has more than 40,000 blind or visually impaired individuals, and thousands more with sight-threatening diseases.

Our organization has provided vision screening services for children since 1946. All of POB’s programs are overseen by POB’s volunteer Medical Committee. This 20-person Committee ensures that across our service delivery, POB aligns to evidence-based, medically-backed interventions and solutions. Committee members also serve as medical advisors to each of our programs, providing ongoing professional guidance and recommendations to our program staff in their day-to-day work. The Committee reviews output and outcome reports from our program directors.

POB is governed by a 27-member board of trustees, which is comprised of local professionals in the fields of ophthalmology, medicine, community development, law, finance, nonprofit management, and more. The Board maintains fiduciary responsibility for the organization, and provides oversight of our staff leadership and strategic growth. Through Committees, the Board oversees specific POB programs (children’s screenings, adult glaucoma, low vision support groups, eyeglasses, low vision resources), as well as critical organizational functions (communications, fundraising). Our Board of Trustees is currently led by Board President Jennie Kronthal, an independent law practice professional. POB consists of 12 full-time and 19 part-time staff, with tenures ranging from a few months to more than 20 years.

Administrative and programmatic staff are in place to make all programs successful, and key strategic partnerships are vital to the success of the organization. Our partners allow us to provide these much needed services at a location convenient to their constituents, such as schools and other nonprofit organizations. Committed to continued improvement and public engagement in our work, POB convenes two Community Task Forces, bringing together medical experts and providers, engaged residents, and the users of vision support services themselves, to identify community needs and opportunities to expand and enhance available services relating to these topics. They are valuable opportunities for self-advocacy among our clients and others impacted by vision challenges, and also as key voices in guiding POB’s own future work.

Last year, POB provided free vision screenings and examinations to over 6,000 children in the Greater Washington area, referring 802 children for further evaluation. POB is committed to serving children in more disadvantaged areas in the region, and expanded screenings in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Wards 5, 7, and 8 in the District of Columbia: nearly 3,300 children were screened in the District in 2018-19, a majority of which in these Wards.

Last year, we provided free vision screenings to 813 children (ages 5-18). Of those 813 children, 192 children (23%) were deemed in need of an evaluation from our on-site volunteer eye doctor. Our volunteer eye doctor evaluated 188 children and determined that 186 needed treatment by way of prescription eyeglasses.

POB provided over 3,000 free glaucoma and visual acuity screenings in 2019, positively identifying 16.6% of individuals as needing further evaluation, an increase from 15.5% the previous year.. POB also hosted a glaucoma awareness community health event with Dr. Arthur Schwartz of Washington Eye Physicians and Surgeons in 2019.

The Eyeglasses Program annually provides prescription eyeglasses to more than 750 individuals in-need at low- or no-cost. Additionally, we developed a partnership with So Others May Eat (SOME)’s medical clinic to provide free eyeglasses to individuals experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC.

Last year, POB had over 900 community touches at Low Vision Resource events within Greater Washington. In addition to our eight monthly support groups, POB is expanding to include four additional facilitated meetings per month for the 2020-2021 year. POB is on track to have more than 1,200 community touches within Greater Washington this year.

The Low Vision Center existed as an independent nonprofit organization for more than 40 years and made the decision to close its doors at the end of 2019. POB recognized the importance of this service to the low vision community and have agreed to assume and grow this program without interruption.

Last year, we focused on increasing capacity for this program by hiring a scheduler/administrative assistant for the program, developed an outreach program for practice administrations, and distributed the practice information to referring providers. Continued growth, including recruiting additional low vision doctors, is a priority.

POB continually identifies and meets emerging community needs in its programs and fundraising efforts. The organization has established partnerships with several community resources to provide more opportunities for eye care and more eye health information to the people who need it most. POB also hosts an annual Night of Vision® gala and Eye Run for POB 5K run and 2 mile fun run/walk to raise awareness and funds, and it operates two Look Again® resale shops – one in Alexandria, VA and one in Kensington, MD – with proceeds benefiting local sight-saving programs.