Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax; 713/743-8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2004

Contact: Lisa Merkl
713/743-8192 (office)
713/605-1757 (pager)

As part of its ongoing effort to help Houstonians save their vision, the University Eye Institute at the University of Houston College of Optometry is offering free vision screenings on campus March 8-11.

While on campus, visitors may want to stop by the main facilities after their screenings to see how they or a loved one may benefit from the various services of the university’s fully functional optometry clinic. With “Save Your Vision Month” coming on the heels of “Low Vision Month,” UH provides aid to patients with a range of eyesight problems.

Home to the Center for Sight Enhancement, the UH College of Optometry was recently given a boost from the Houston Delta Gamma Foundation with a grant to expand the center’s already comprehensive services. The Houston Delta Gamma Foundation Low Vision Education and Independent Living Service provides patients with optical task magnifiers and some non-optical systems for glare, contrast and posture issues related to the visual impairment.

“Devices that assist an individual’s ability to perform routine daily living activities are as important to overall independence as the prescriptive devices, as one complements the other,” said Dr. Randy Jose, associate professor at the UH College of Optometry. “Patients are educated on how to use devices to incorporate into their daily lives to maintain independent living that includes such taken-for-granted tasks as reading, paying bills, hygiene care, taking medicines, cooking, telling time and going to the store.”

In addition to serving patients, the Houston Delta Gamma Foundation Low Vision Education and Independent Living Service provides a clinical rotation opportunity for optometry students so they learn to manage the total needs of their visually impaired patients in private practice or clinical settings. Group tours are available by contacting 713-743-0737.

“We are honored to be in partnership with the UH College of Optometry to continue to serve the blind and visually impaired in the greater Houston area with this new service,” said Cathleen Garrett Mayo, president of Houston Delta Gamma Foundation. “We are committed to support this effort both financially and with our Delta Gamma volunteers. The Delta Gamma collegians on the UH campus plan to participate as volunteers along with our many Houston-area alumni groups.”

For more than 30 years, Houston Delta Gamma Foundation has supported programs for the blind and visually impaired. Annual fundraising efforts include “Eyes on Houston Honoring Women of Vision,” which is bestowed upon women who have made outstanding contributions in their professions or areas of interest, and the decade-long “Great Houston Duck Race.” The Foundation has raised more than $1.7 million over the years.

The UH screenings are free and open to the public. No appointment is necessary. Call 713-743-1990 for more information.

For more information about the College of Optometry, visit www.uei.uh.edu

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For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.