According to the Centers for Disease control, more than 4 million Americans aged 40 years and older suffer from uncorrectable vision impairment, and 1 million of those are blind. This number is predicted to more than double by 2050 to nearly 9 million due to the increasing epidemics of diabetes and other chronic diseases and our rapidly aging U.S. population.
In Massachusetts, state sponsored services and supports are only available for those considered “legally” blind, leaving many people with vision impairment without access to services.
On The Point, we discuss vision impairment, and a new program offered though Catholic Social Services to get people the supports they need.
With us are the following guests:
Cynthia Stead, Project Administrator for Catholic Social Services of Fall River and New Bedford. She is the former Executive Director of Sight Loss Services of the Cape & islands, and serves as a board member and trustee of thePerkins School for the Blind and the Perkins Community Access Board.
Dennis Polselli is a member of the Catholic Guild for the Blind Planning Committee. He is a retired University administrator and currently he works for Community Autism Resources and is chair of the Fall River Commission on Disability.
Link to take the Catholic Guild for the Blind survey -
List of Massachusetts based service organizations
