According to the Center for Disease Control, vision loss is one of the top ten disabilities in the United States. But despite these statistics, it appears as if there is little public awareness of the situation, nor are many of our government officials fully aware of the total extent of this challenge.

Individuals with vision loss often withdraw into their homes, thus creating a veil where the disability is not publicly noticeable. Currently, seven of ten with severe vision loss are unemployed and eighty percent are chronically depressed.In the veteran community, the visually impaired are ten times more likely to commit suicide than any other type of disabled veteran. In 2007, the Center for Disease Control estimated that the costs of vision loss were in excess of $50 billion.

The purpose of the OVLF is to enable those with vision loss to live high quality and productive lives in spite of their vision loss. Public education about the specific challenges of those with vision loss and the research and analysis of the challenges faced by these disabled members of our society are our top priority.