"What is that L word you keep saying? Love? Or Low Vision? Oh, low vision, I have never heard that before, this is the first time anyone has ever said that to me. Is that what I have? Low Vision? I have MacD and I live with Low Vision, wow…! am 84 years old and I have arthritis, knee replacements, three stents due to heart and cardiac problems, a cancer survivor and low vision. That is who I am and adding the low vision to my list is the chronic health-related problem I suffer from the most in my life. Every single day. I am really, really happy I found the Support Sight Foundation because now I have more hope. I learn from you. Thank you so much! My daughter is calling the other phone and I can’t wait to tell her…"
K. O’Malley, dry MacD in both eyes. Diagnosed 2018.
When sight disappears, so does a person’s connection to the world. TSSF is all about helping people who can’t see. Every single day they live with this blinding disease and it changes their lives forever. We hear over and over again that support and help from TSSF is transformational.
Why? Because AMD is ALL we do.
That’s why we believe in:
Education for patients and caregivers on how to live more independently with MacD.
Advocacy to amplify the need for national attention given to the disease.
Research to discover new treatments and a cure.
PATIENT EDUCATION
SupportSight Program is our signature patient education and outreach program conceived to link patients, caregivers, and families affected by macular degeneration with the most up-to-date information. We offer free, fully accessible learning opportunities on living with MacD, new treatments, and research. Embedded in our program design are proven practical strategies to help improve their quality of life with vision loss.
SupportSight Live Seminars happen across the country. The public seminars are free of charge and feature low vision experts, healthcare professionals, and motivational/inspirational speakers to engage the audience in an interactive setting. (currently on hold)
Mini Education Sessions are presented in a condensed format. We partner with local area retirement communities, low vision providers and community-based agencies making it cost-effective and convenient to connect with people where they are and raise awareness. (virtual only)
SupportSightNEWSTM is our seasonal newsletter with national reach. A digital version is available online at supportsight.org. It is designed to be reader-friendly for those with impaired vision. The content is a reliable source for the AMD community and their caregivers.
SupportSight Resources include our Care & Share Hotline, outreach activities, retirement community partnerships, educational materials and online resources.
The SupportSight Foundation’s Educational Series is an informal and informative gathering of patients and stakeholders that consists of stories told by patients with MacD, and “arm chair” conversations with experts about investing in the patient and caregiver community.
PATIENT ADVOCACY
MyMacDLife is our new Podcast and companion website education program. A collection of personal, authentic MacD stories from and about patients, families, and caregivers. The Podcast brings experts, knowledge, info, and fun to the airwaves. Our goal is to create an online community through powerful anecdotes that knit together a tapestry about living with this devastating, blinding disease.
Living with AMD in a COVID-19 World We continue to modify our educational series about Living with AMD in a COVID-19 world.
The Low Vision Education Key Collaboratives Program aims to raise public awareness about low vision which is a consequence of MacD and other eye diseases millions of people experience no matter what age.
As of 2020, approximately 20 million Americans are estimated to have macular degeneration and other retina-related debilitating diseases. ~ National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Patient Education & Advocacy Program Sponsors
