Vision WeblettersWebletter - April 2002
…a brief update from Vision World Wide. We've got something of interest to everyone, so feel free to share it with your colleagues, or forward it to a friend, who can subscribe easily by sending a message to: VisionENews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or Click Here and enter your e-mail address in the form provided. In This Issue:
****************************************** 1. Visudyne Treatment Not Covered By Medicare The March 29, 2002 decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to deny national Medicare coverage of ocular photodynamic therapy (OPT) with verteporfin ("Visudyne") was a reversal of its October 2001 decision to expand the national coverage policy for this treatment. This March 29 reversal by CMS is particularly troubling given Secretary Thompson's recent statement in the latest issue of Inside CMS, (March 28, 2002) that "Healthy vision is a shared responsibility among the government, health care providers, community leaders, and the public." This new ruling will almost certainly result in a greater number of older people losing their vision for lack of access to the best possible treatment for AMD. Vision loss among older people is a prime cause of lost personal independence. Preserving independent living for older Americans should be a higher goal of our public policy. However, only the wealthy will now have access to the sight saving treatment for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD, the leading cause of blindness in the Medicare population. This means that 35,000 to 70,000 Medicare beneficiaries will now be denied this vision saving treatment and will lose their sight. That is one out of every four Medicare beneficiaries that will be denied entitlement under the Social Security Act as a result of this non-coverage decision. Disability advocates in major organizations concerned about vision loss in older Americans are joining together to fight this CMS decision. These include the Academy of Ophthalmology, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Alliance for Aging Research, American Macular Degeneration Foundation, Vitreous Society, American Council of the Blind, and others. For a full description of the decision, refer to the CMS website link http://www.hcfa.gov/coverage/8b3-ee7.htm. The above organizations encourage comparing this decision with the original Decision Memorandum document posted on October 17, 2001, by CMS regarding their intention to reimburse Visudyne for occult lesions.
2. Medicare Now Covers Glaucoma Detection Eye Exam The letter writing campaign promoted by a coalition of eye care organizations -- including The Glaucoma Foundation -- has paid off now that Medicare beneficiaries over 65 at high risk for glaucoma are entitled to an annual dilated eye examination. The new benefit, which took effect January 1, 2002, defines high-risk Medicare beneficiaries as those with diabetes, those with a family history of glaucoma, and African Americans. (Given the higher incidence of glaucoma among African Americans, the legislation includes African American Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 and older to include the relatively small number on the Medicare rolls for other disability reasons.) ``This first glaucoma detection benefit under Medicare could save the sight of thousands of seniors,´´ says TGF President James P. Digan. Increasing age is the single largest relative risk factor in developing glaucoma, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the U.S., which afflicts six percent or some two million Americans over age 65. It is especially important that this benefit covers a dilated exam. The test that measures eye pressure is only one part of a glaucoma examination, and by itself, cannot detect glaucoma. Glaucoma is most often found during an eye examination through dilated pupils, which means drops are put into the eyes to enlarge the pupils so that the eye care professional can see more of the back of the eye. Studies show that the early detection and treatment of glaucoma, before it causes major vision loss, is the best way to control the disease.
3. CSUN 2002 Conference Proceedings Online Anyone wishing to read the presentations made at the 2002 California State University at Northridge (CSUN) conference should go to http://www-cod.csun.edu/conf/2002/proceedings/csun02.htm.
4. Youth Sports Festival From July 13-17, 2002, the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is playing host to its annual National Youth Sports Festival, to be held at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind in Colorado Springs. The festival is a chance for junior high and high school-aged students to hone skills in seven summer sports, including swimming, wrestling, judo, track and field, tandem cycling, goalball and powerlifting. The sports will be taught by former Paralympians and national coaches. Following the instructional clinics, USABA National Youth Championships will be held in each of the sports. In addition to exposing the youth to new sports, there will also be sessions on leadership and goal-setting skills conducted by elite athletes. Each year, more than 125 participants from across the country come to Colorado Springs to participate in this five-day event. Not only are these youth given the opportunity to learn athletic skills, but they also get the chance to meet and socialize with other blind and visually impaired youth, often forming life-long friendships. In order to work more closely with community-based organizations across the United States, USABA will also be conducting coaching clinics in swimming and track and field, tentatively scheduled at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Funding for attendance will be provided for a maximum of 10 coaches with the goal of helping train youth for the 2003 International Blind Sports Association World Championships in Quebec and the 2004 IBSA Youth World Championships in Colorado Springs. Registration forms are available on the USABA Web site, http://www.usaba.org. Deadline for early registration is May 15. Scholarships are available for students in need of financial assistance. For more information, contact the USABA office at (719) 630-0422, ext. 13 or via e-mail at mlucas@usaba.org.
5. Talking Book Industry Now A Major Business Audiobooks have a history of primarily being used for visually impaired people. The trend has grown to include millions of commuters, sales people and avid book readers. Consequently, annual sales in 1993 were $1.3 billion, in 1995 $1.6 billion and in 1997 an estimated $2 billion. These statistics take on new meaning when we realize that 80% of the population has never listened to a book on tape. The hottest selling books in the top five categories are: Motivational 21%; Fiction 18%; Non-Fiction 18%; Religious 16%; and Children 12%. 90% of the listeners surveyed listen to books under 5 hours a week. 72.6% listen in the car. 59.6% listen at home. 16% listen while walking or jogging. Profiles of listeners were equally interesting. Average age was 45 years. Of this number, 58% were female; 42% male. 59% of male listeners and 39% of female listeners have a 4-year college degree. The average household income was $47,495. (58% of the listeners had household incomes less than $45,000 per year.) Current growth is at an estimated 12 million households and growing. All this leads us to conclude what visually impaired people have known for years: Audiobooks are a vital tool for auditory learners, book readers, and people learning to read.
6. A Major Victory for Descriptive Video On Friday, March 29, 2002, the court has denied the request of the Motion Picture Association et al, to grant a stay and prevent implementation of the FCC's rule on video description. This action follows a similar refusal by the FCC itself earlier that week. This means that audio described programming will begin on network television as scheduled, with the quarter that begins on April 1, 2002!! Appreciation goes to the Federal Communications Commission, and the court, for recognizing that we who are blind and visually impaired have just as much right to enjoy the programming on television as everyone else in America. How cool that we are about to see and hear history in the making!
7. Equipment Needed To Receive DVS on TV Now that the FCC has upheld its earlier decision to mandate inclusion of descriptive video on TV, here is the equipment you need to receive DVS (SAP) To receive DVS on television in your home, a viewer need have only one of the following: 1. A stereo TV with a Second Audio Program (S.A.P.) feature, 2. A VCR with S.A.P., or 3. A S.A.P. receiver that can be used with or without a TV. To find out whether or not your TV or VCR has S.A.P. capability, consult your owner's manual. Most TVs or VCRs purchased within the past 5 years are S.A.P. equipped. To hear the narrated visual descriptions via your stereo TV or VCR, simply activate its S.A.P. feature. A S.A.P. receiver is a device that is able to tune in, similar to a radio, a S.A.P. channel. It can be used with or without a TV depending on whether or not you want to receive the video picture. These are available either pre-tuned or adjustable. The following
companies produce S.A.P. receivers:
*This device can also receive Radio Reading Services.
8. Tips for Successful Television Viewing (From the Website of The Center for the Partially Sighted) Television can be a
source of entertainment, relaxation and education
and people with low-vision want to enjoy this
medium like their fully sighted counterparts. Here
are some suggestions for making the experience more
pleasurable.
Explore what works best for you. A large remote control can make it easier to adjust the channel and volume on your television.
9. Free Course On Accessing the Internet The Internet Fundamentals course taught by Cathy Anne Murtha is aired each Tuesday night on ACB Radio's Main Menu http://www.acbradio.org and takes students from the basics of the Internet through some of the more advanced features of the World Wide Web. Designed to help both JFW and Window-Eyes users, this course is a comprehensive exploration of the Internet and screen reading software. These classes are absolutely free. There is no charge to listen in or view the sample pages on the ATI website. If you are interested in learning more about Windows or Access to the Internet, you are invited to visit http://www.accesstechnologyinstitute.com and check out the "Courses offered by ATI on ACB Radio" link.
10. Choices for Children Campaign Launched In an effort to educate policymakers, legislators, and the public about the unique educational needs of children who are blind or visually impaired, parents, consumers, and professionals have joined together in a grass-roots network to promote choices for children by advocating improvements to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) during reauthorization, by defending IDEA from weakening amendments, and by assuring that educational reform represents the best interest of each child. CFC strives to ensure that children who are blind or visually impaired receive comprehensive education services * by dramatically increasing the availability of teachers and related services personnel trained to meet the unique needs of this special student population; * by ensuring that blind or visually impaired students are provided with access to classroom instructional materials and technology equal to their non-disabled classmates; * through complete and accurate identification of students with visual impairments in need of special education and related services; * by assuring that assessments are designed with sensitivity to the unique needs of students who are blind or visually impaired, are administered by personnel with knowledge of their unique needs, and are provided in individually appropriate reading media; * through a full range of appropriate transition services ensuring successful progress from school to work; and * through placement of students with visual impairments in educational settings based on individual students' needs. It is believed that together members can share their experiences with the successes and shortcomings of the current law and regulations, coordinate the development and dissemination of research, position papers, and updates on the progress of legislation concerning the reauthorization of IDEA, coordinate an active grass-roots network to advocate changes to IDEA, and respond to requests for action in support of CFC's policy agenda. The campaign co-chairs are Susan Spungin, Ed.D., of the American Foundation for the Blind, and Herb Miller, of the St. Joseph's School for the Blind. To secure more information about becoming a part of this initiative, contact: Mark Richert
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Updated April 3, 2002
