Hope Vision Foundation

Hope Vision Foundation is empowering people with vision loss and their caregivers to live their best lives. We do this through three main lines of effort. Increase Awareness. Empower through Education. Build Resources.

Increase Awareness. Most patients with low vision see an optometrist or ophthalmologist regularly. Hope Vision Foundation aims to engage directly with eye care practices and professionals to encourage them to refer patients to vision rehabilitation and discuss benefits of vision rehabilitation on patient quality of life. Another group of community professionals that regularly witness the impact of vision loss are caregivers. Whether they are professional caregivers working in assisted living, home health or family acting as care partners, we aim to work with them to provide them the knowledge, support, and resources they need. By increasing community awareness of vision loss as an invisible disability Hope Vision aims to help people feel confident and prepared to interact with people with vision loss.

Empower through Education. Hope Vision Foundation aims to improve understanding of vision loss. For most people understanding their condition is the first step to taking charge of their new reality. Normalizing the adjustment process, which is similar to the grief reaction is critical. Then we share the many tools, adaptive techniques, and devices available to help people living with vision impairment live their best lives. Caregivers are a specific focus area for us because it is often the caregiver who is seeking assistance on behalf of the person with vision loss early on.

Build Resources. Most communities across the US do not have well developed comprehensive vision rehabilitation resources. Hope Vision Foundation aims to Increase the number of vision rehabilitation providers. We also strive to increase access to devices and vision adaptive aids.

Increase Awareness.
Enhance the ability of people with low vision to lead independent, active lives.
Create a supportive website and blog to provide information and links to resources
Connect people to resources and facilitate DSB referrals
Listen to our low vision and blind community to determine needs and drive services
Social Support - Create connections and community that supports those with visual impairment

Empower through Education - Increase the understanding of the needs of those with low vision and blindness through education.
Provide Community Based Workshops with Vendor/Resource Fairs
Quarterly mini-Workshops (Online and Face to Face)
Carepartner Workbook
Professional Caregiver Guidebook
Creation of online classes to facilitate remote learning
Caregiver and eye care workers - onboarding class

Build Resources - Provide services to low vision persons through evaluation, treatment and provision of low vision aids.
Identify. Provide community vision screening fairs.
Access - Improve Provider referral rates to Vision Rehabilitation by working with community Ophthalmologists and Optometrists.
Treatment - Work with Occupational Therapists to improve comfort with vision rehabilitation skills
Adaptive Aid support - Stand up a small online store where people can donate, buy or request a device.
Partnerships - Lions Clubs and other community partners to develop a device lending library

Hope Vision Foundation has an extremely experienced team that includes people with vision loss, vision rehabilitation specialists and ophthalmologists.

We are well connected with other organizations serving those with disabilities and the elderly in our area.

We are engaged on social media and locally with people with vision loss and organizations serving those with vision loss.

We have researched and developed a business plan that will create a self sustaining vision rehabilitation service network in our area that can be broadened and expanded to other regions as we grow and increase our financial backing.

What we have done!

Increase Awareness.
- Spoken at the Washington Eyecare Professionals Association Annual meeting.
- Provided several local talks at Lions Club, Kiwanis and Healthcare Provider meeting.
- Had booths at County Aging and Disability Fairs.

Empower through Education.
- Hope Vision Foundation has educational materials on the website.
- We have provided several educational talks at libraries and community centers.
- We hosted our first Annual Caregiver Workshop in February 2020
- We have created a free resource for Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for people with vision impairment.
- We have started an online course collection at www.school-of-vision.teachable.com
- Presented to the Aging and Disability Resources group in Pierce county. 2021
- Presented at the Pierce County Health Care Providers Meeting. 2021

Build Resources.
- We have started collecting used and donated vision aids for a lending library.
- We have partnered with the Lions Club in Olympia who has an existing low vision lending library.

What is next?

In order to maintain and increase our impact Hope Vision Foundation is looking to partner with organizations with similar goals. We plan to hire a consulting fundraising and grant writing specialist to obtain the funds needed to realize our vision.

Hope Vision Foundation is working on expanding our online and in person education course that we hope to make a requirement for caregivers and those working in eye care offices to improve awareness. We are working with local colleges and schools to get training on caring for people with vision loss to students.

In 2022 we plan to host at least three vision workshops that includes special sections on technology and rights of people with disabilities. We are also planning on publishing a Guide for People with vision loss and their caregivers.

Hope Vision Foundation plans to hire vision rehabilitation providers to grow the treatment capability and capacity in Washington State. In order to do this we need to secure community support and grants to cover the cost of providing this resource.