Low Vision Resources and Rehabilitation for Retinal Degeneration Patients: A Webinar to Discuss Critical Needs and Opportunities

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is hosting a low vision webinar to inform eye care professionals about the many opportunities to greatly enhance the quality of life, and provide hope, for their retinal disease patients.

The interactive webinar is appropriate for all eye care professionals including: retinal specialists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, rehabilitation professionals, occupational therapists, and orientation and mobility instructors.

Register now for the free November 11, 2020, webinar from 12:00-2:00 pm ET

“A diagnosis of a condition like retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt disease, or age-related macular degeneration is often devastating. But by referring these patients for low vision resources, doctors can provide tremendous hope and a path forward,” Rebecca Kammer, OD, University of California, Irvine, and webinar moderator, said in a company news release. “We will reference patient case studies to highlight the opportunities eye care professionals have to help their patients be more independent and enjoy their favorite activities.”

Webinar presenters and panelists

• Donald Fletcher, MD, is a clinician and researcher in the field of retinal diseases and low vision rehabilitation. For the last 34 years, he has devoted himself to rehabilitation of the visually impaired and has cared for more than 30,000 low vision patients and taught many others how to perform this work. He sees patients at California Pacific Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology in San Francisco; Envision in Wichita, Kansas, where he is medical director; the University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology in Kansas City; and Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, where he is director of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Center.
• Wayne Heidle was an assistant professor at Southern California College of Optometry (retired). He is currently the manager at the Kathryn T. McCarty Adaptive Technology Center and a member of the National Speakers Association and Global Speakers Federation. He received an honorary doctorate (LHD) from Marshall B. Ketchum University.
• Rebecca Kammer, OD, PhD, University of California, Irvine, has been a low vision specialist for 20 years with the majority of that time serving as head of low vision clinical programs at institutions or for international rural outreach. Dr. Kammer currently spends most of her time conducting research with inherited retinal disease trials. She is also part-time clinical faculty at UC Irvine department of ophthalmology where she founded a low vision service in 2018.
• Denny Moyer, BS, COTA/L, SCALV is a founding member and current chief executive officer of the Ensight Skills Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the Curtis Strong Center for the Visually Impaired in Greeley, Colorado. Denny has been visually impaired from Stargardt disease since age 19.
• Monica Perlmutter, OTD, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA is an associate professor at the Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy in St. Louis. She has 39 years of clinical experience that includes adult neurology and working with adults with vision loss and chronic conditions. She is the lead OT for the Low Vision Community Practice program at Washington University.

The webinar is being organized by the Foundation’s Professional Outreach Department which was created to educate eye care professionals throughout the U.S. about the many resources available to retinal degeneration patients including no-cost genetic testing and counseling, and the My Retina Tracker Registry patient database. For more information about the Foundation’s resources for eye care professionals, contact Michelle Glaze at mglaze@fightingblindness.org or (251) 654-9758.