The Low Visibility of Low Vision: Increasing Awareness through Public Health Education

The importance of an informational outreach program focused on eye health and visual impairment is underscored by surveys showing that the vast majority of Americans have misperceptions about or have never heard of low vision. This article uses the National Eye Institute's Low Vision Education Program as a model for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a public health education initiative. The components of an effective public education program are outlined in the context of what people know, don't know, and want to know about vision loss.