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AAVL Events
non-AAVL Events
AAVL Events
AAVL 25th Anniversary Celebration
AAVL will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Saturday, February 10, 2024, for two hours on Zoom starting at 4:00 PM EST, 3:00 PM CST, 2:00 PM MST, 1:00 PM PST and 11:00 AM HST. Folks will share their reflections and memories of the early years of AAVL and of its dynamic founder and first president, Teddie Joy Remhd. We will also talk about our exciting advocacy initiatives on behalf of older people with vision loss, our weekly support group, our newsletter, the Hour Glass, our web resource lists, our monthly community calls and much more. We’ll also be giving away door prizes every 20 minutes. You definitely want to be there!
AAVL 3-Part Podcast Series on Fall Prevention The Fall Prevention podcast program was held October 7, 12 and 14, 2021. See our AAVL Resources page to listen to the 3 podcast links and download the MS Word resources.
AAA Project
Would you like to catch up? - if you would like to participate, and haven’t yet started the process, either:
Watch the podcast of our April 11 Zoom event https://pnc.st/s/acb-events/325760ad/aavl-and-area-agencies-on-aging-aaa-april-11-2021
or
Go to AAA Project Detailed Instructions
or download your preferred format of AAA Project Detailed Instructions below to start the project:
.doc AAA Project Detailed Instructions
.pdf AAA Project Detailed Instructions
.txt AAA Project Detailed Instructions
For General info:
Go to AAVL Seeks to Coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging
or download your preferred format of the AAA Project Promo Letter below:
.doc AAA Project Promo Letter
.pdf AAA Project Promo Letter
.txt AAA Project Promo Letter
Go to Area Agencies on Aging and How they Help You
or download your preferred format of the AAA Information Sheet below:
.doc AAA Information Sheet
.pdf AAA Information Sheet
.txt AAA Information Sheet
AAVL Special Monthly Meetings
AAVL will hold special monthly meetings on topics of interest to its members. All such meetings will take place on the fourth Monday of every month starting at 2:00 PM ET, 1:00 PM CT, noon MT, 11:00 AM PT and 8:00 AM HT. All meetings will be done on Zoom and play on ACB Media 5. Look for the Zoom instructions in the ACB Community emails.
In November 2022 the special meeting focused on I Can Connect equipment for people who have both sight and hearing loss. You can find a link to hear this podcast at:
https://www.acbmedia.org/category/community
The January 2023 special meeting focused on cruising with low vision or blindness. An audio link for the call is:
January 2023 special meeting audio
The February 2023 special meeting focused on the ACB Advocacy Update on February 16, 2023. An audio link for the call is:
February 2023 special meeting audio
The April 2023 special meeting focused on Traveling Internationally on April 24, 2023. An audio link for the call is:
April 2023 special meeting audio
The May 2023 special meeting focused on Special Considerations when Giving Care to Clients who are Experiencing Vision Loss on May 22, 2023. An audio link for the call is:
May 2023 Special Meeting Audio
The July 2023 special meeting focused on What would you do in an emergency. An audio link for the call is:
July 2023 Special Meeting Audio
The August 2023 special meeting focused on Getting to Know Penny Forward. An audio link for the call is:
August 2023 Special Meeting Audio
The September 2023 special meeting focused on The Blind Shell Phone. An audio link for the call is:
September 2023 Special Meeting Audio
The October 2023 special meeting focused on Senior Housing Options. An audio link for the call is:
October 2023 Special Meeting Audio
"The Ins and Outs of Sight Loss Later in Life"
Support Group Call. Tuesdays at 4:00 PM Eastern time, 1:00 PM Pacific time AAVL sponsors a community call support group for people losing sight at older ages called "The Ins and Outs of Sight Loss Later in Life". Look for the Zoom instructions in the ACB Community emails.
California Affiliate Support Group Call
The California Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss, a state affiliate member of AAVL, also sponsors a group support call on Friday mornings, from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM Pacific time. AAVL at ACB Convention ACB held its 2023 annual conference and convention from June 30 through July 7. It was a hybrid convention with live events taking place in Schaumburg, Illinois. As a participant, AAVL sponsored the following events.
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AAVL co-sponsored with SASI a presentation on Aging Well Into Dual Sensory Loss. Jenee Allerman-Goodman, Older Adult Program Coordinator for the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), Fort Leavenworth, KS shared information and tips for how to cope with and move forward on dealing with both sight and hearing loss. The session was facilitated by Megan Conway PhD, Information, Research and Professional Development (IRPD), Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), Healdsburg, CA.
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AAVL and SASI co-sponsored a presentation on Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Carol Hamer, audiologist with th Helen Keller National Center, Sands Point, N.Y. and Carl Richardson, ADA Coordinator and consumer, Brighten, MA talked about over-the-counter vs. prescribed hearing aids. The session was facilitated by Lori Scharff, VRT and advocate Waynesboro, VA.
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AAVL co-sponsored with Next Gen the chance to match Wits between Next Gen and The Boomers in a trivia contest which the younger generation won despite a strong showing by their seniors.
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AAVL held its annual lunch. In-person only. Participants had a choice of menu options to purchase.
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A volunteer from the Alzheimer's Association of Illinois spoke on Ten warning signs of Alzheimers.
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Pam Shaw, Philadelphia, PA talked about defining the new normal in this post-pandemic age.
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AAVL and SASI held a joint social event which participants could join in person for a fee of $15-$20.
- During the General Session there was a Panel Discussion of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists vs. Occupational Therapists. Doug Powell, President of AAVL, represented AAVL on this panel.
Getting to Know you
The Membership Committee of AAVL would like to invite you to a new call for AAVL members entitled AAVL: We could write a book. This call is simply to provide a chance for AAVL members to get to know each other in an informal way. We could swap stories about interesting things that have happened in our lives, tell about our travel adventures, swap recipes, and whatever else comes to mind. We anticipate offering this event every other month, as there are always so many meetings and other things to do. The first call will take place on Thursday, October 12 at 5 PM EDT.
AAVL at previous ACB Conventions
The following are links to AAVL’s 2023 convention presentations.
Listen to Aging into Dual Sensory Loss
Listen to Over the Counter Hearing Aids
Listen to 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's
Listen to Defining the New Normal
https://www.aavl-blind-seniors.org/past-AAVL-at-ACB-conventions
Cookbook
AAVL has produced a cookbook containing your original recipes. Appetizers to desserts round out the cookbook. It will be produced in all formats. You can read more about it and how to order at https://www.aavl-blind-seniors.org/cookbook.
New Teddie Joy Remhild Service Award
The Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss (AAVL) is proud to announce the establishment of The Teddie Joy Remhild Service Award in honor of the founder and first president of the AAVL. The purpose of the award is to recognize exemplary service of an AAVL member who has significantly contributed to improving the well-being of older adults with vision loss. The first recipient will be named on February 10, 2024, during the special 25th Anniversary Celebration of AAVL’s founding.
The Teddie Joy Remhild Service Award is to be given to an member of the Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss who has demonstrated exemplary service in advancing the purposes of this organization in one or more of the following areas:
- By advocating for the improvement of the social, economic and cultural status of older adults with vision loss;
- By promoting and/or participating in education awareness programs regarding the needs, ideas and capabilities of older adults with vision loss;
- By helping to expand and improve rehabilitation and independent living skills training programs for older adults experiencing vision loss, or
- By encouraging, supporting and/or assisting older adults who experience vision loss to realize their potential and assume their role as valued members of their community.
Nominations are now open and may be submitted via email to the Awards Committee Chair, Larry Johnson at larjo1@prodigy.net
Nominations will close on December 10, 2023.
Award Committee members are Jane Perry MA, Kathy Gerhardt OH, Larry Johnson TX, and President Doug Powell VA.
non-AAVL Events
ACB Daily Community Calls
ACB hosts daily community calls on the Zoom platform. Between eight to twelve calls take place each day covering a vast variety of topics including social, technology, support, crafts, music, special groups and quite a few more. For more information and to learn how to join any of the calls, visit the web site:
https://acblists.org/g/ACB-Community-Events
Aging and Vision Loss National Coalition (AVLNC)
The Aging and Vision Loss National Coalition (AVLNC) is a consortium of leaders comprised of national, state, local, private, and public agencies with the goal of advocating for equal access and quality of life for older Americans with vision loss. AVLNC has established one, two and three year plans to seek better understanding of and services for seniors experiencing sight loss. It seeks volunteers to serve on its four subcommittees; Public Awareness, Data and Research, Access to Quality Vision Rehabilitation Services, and Policy and Funding. For more information, visit its web site at:
https://visionservealliance.org/avlnc/?mc_cid=ff28833fca&mc_eid=cc266e9c8d
ASPECT Advocacy Training
The application period is now open for all who wish to participate in the ASPECT (Advocacy, Support, Perspective, Empowerment, Communication, and Training) Patient Engagement Program at Prevent Blindness. It is recruiting individuals with vision impairment or blindness as well as allies (i.e. parents or guardians, care partners, nonprofit representatives, multidisciplinary clinicians, eye care providers, and researchers). The program aims to equip participants with knowledge, skills, and confidence to become advocates for vision and eye health- at the individual and interpersonal, community, and societal levels. For more information, visit the web site at:
https://cvph.preventblindness.org/aspect-program/#:~:text=The%20Prevent%....
Visibilities Community Call
Fridays at 7:00 PM Eastern time, 4:00 PM Pacific time Visibilities presents topics of interest to older people with sight loss through a community call. Look for the Zoom instructions in the ACB Community emails.