OIB-TAC Webinar Tomorrow!

Join OIB-TAC on Friday, October 20th, at 2:00 PM Central for our next webinar titled Putting Adult Learning Theory into Practice.

Does service delivery feel stuck in predictable patterns? Is it a struggle to convince consumers they need services beyond magnification? This session will explore adult learning principles and suggest ways to incorporate them into assessment, goal setting, and instruction. Whether you are an experienced service provider or someone new to the field, these strategies will build your professional toolkit for working with adults.

Presenter: Kendra Farrow, CVRT

Click here to register for the webinar!

New Course from OIB-TAC for Social Workers

OIB-TAC is pleased to announce the launch of a free, self-paced video/recorded training course for social workers! The course provides an overview of strategies and techniques for working with adults experiencing vision impairment or blindness.

Practical Information for Social Workers New to Interacting with Older Adults Experiencing Vision Impairment or Blindness, Course #5163, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by Older Individuals Who Are Blind Technical Assistance Center as an individual course. Individual courses, not providers, are approved at the course level. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 10/2/2023 – 10/2/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 1 general continuing education credits.

Course Instructor: Linda Greth, LSW

Click here for more information or to enroll in the course!

Please note that other courses in the OIB-TAC and NRTC catalog do not currently offer social work CE credit.

2023 OIB-TAC Satisfaction Survey

OIB-TAC conducts an annual satisfaction survey to gather feedback from those engaging with our resources (including the Weekly Brief), training, and technical assistance activities. Your input is valuable to inform the activities offered by the center in the coming year. We appreciate all responses to this short survey, which should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Please only respond to the survey once.

Click here to take the survey!

Concerning Ad Targeting Individuals with Vision Loss

An OIB Program Manager brought awareness to a concerning ad targeting individuals with vision loss. Below is a sample of communication about concerning ads and strategies for addressing similar topics with consumers or in other areas:

A colleague just shared with OIB-TAC a concerning ad for a supplement called SightCare. We wanted to share this in case you or any consumers that you know come across this advertisement and consider purchasing it. 

Please note that as professionals in the field of blindness and low vision, making recommendations about supplements or nutrition/diet is outside of our scope of expertise, and we should always encourage consumers to seek such advice from their doctor or another qualified provider (i.e. nutritionist or dietitian). 

However, this particular product and advertisement seem to be new to the market and I immediately noticed several red flags when I watched the video in the link above. The statements made in this 40+ minute video portray a harmful depiction of vision loss including statements suggesting that people experiencing vision loss belong in institutions, that their families will hate them, and that their lives are sad, boring, and pathetic. Please also be aware that there are several mentions of suicide made in this video. The man in this video claims to be an "eye specialist" and is wearing a white lab coat. The supplement, SightCare, is claimed to regenerate stem cells and completely reverse ALL types of what he calls "eye problems". He also claims that this supplement reversed aging in the members of his church including heart, nails, pancreas, etc. 

While there are some clinically-studied supplements on the market called AREDS 2 (specifically studied for macular degeneration), none have been proven to reverse or cure vision loss. The National Institute of Health has more info in case you would like to learn more. Additionally, there are emerging clinical trials on stem cell therapy for vision loss that show potential to improve vision loss, but at this time, stem cell therapy is not proven to be safe or effective. You can read more about stem cell therapy for vision loss here and here. 

The product retails for $49 - $249 per bottle, and the man in the video recommends purchasing 3-6 bottles - he says that you have to purchase it RIGHT NOW/TODAY as inventory is limited, and purchasing today is the only way to get access.  

Since social media is one of the ways this supplement is being advertised, consider leaving a comment to alert those desperate for a cure that caution should be used.

Example response: I work with individuals who are experiencing vision loss, so I know how desperate individuals can be to find a cure. Please speak with your eye doctor before pursuing any treatment. If vision impairment is causing difficulty in daily life, learn about free services that restore hope and independence at www.timetobebold.org.

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