George W. Bush

“ I urge all Americans to participate by making eye care and eye safety an important part of their lives and to ensure that dilated eye examinations are included in their regular health maintenance programs. I invite eye care professionals, the media, and all public and private organizations dedicated to preserving eyesight to join in activities that will raise awareness of the measures we can take to protect and sustain our vision. ”

“ As part of our regular health routine, we often overlook vision. Good vision affects how we work, communicate, and learn. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, about 80 million Americans suffer from potentially blinding eye diseases, 3 million have low vision, and 200,000 more are severely visually impaired. ”

“ The best way to detect eye diseases and disorders is through a dilated eye exam. Many eye problems can be prevented or reversed with early detection and appropriate intervention.
There are many other ways we can help reduce vision disorders. We can make healthy lifestyle choices for ourselves and our families, clinicians can emphasize prevention in their practices, and scientists can pursue new treatments and prevention strategies through research. ”