ROCKVILLE, Md.—Non-profit advocacy organization and “Friends of the National Eye Institute” the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR/AEVR) has announced a series of Congressional briefings and a Congressional reception associated with its “Decade of Vision 2010-2020 Initiative,” a sustained educational effort acknowledged by Congress that recognizes the benefits of federally funded vision research. The events will take place throughout September and October at the House of Rayburn in Washington, D.C.

Announced educational programs include:

• “Ensuring Quality Education and Services for Students with Vision Loss,” hosted by Lighthouse International, on Sept. 11;
• “ Determining the Genetic Basis of AMD by Using ‘Big Data,’” hosted by AEVR, on Sept. 19; and
• “World Sight Day 2013: The Economic and Societal Impact of Diabetic Retinopathy,” hosted by Vision 2020 USA, a program of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), on Oct. 11.

On Oct. 9, AEVR will host a reception celebrating the foundation’s 20th anniversary serving as Friends of NEI. Titled “ AEVR 20th Anniversary Celebration: Value of Federally Funded Vision Research,” the reception will include comments by AEVR president and host Peter McDonnell, MD of the Wilmer Eye Institute/Johns Hopkins University, and Paul Sieving, MD, PhD, director of the National Eye Institute (NEI).

The reception will also include AEVR’s release of a new brochure, The Value of Federally Funded Vision Research, to be distributed to all Congressional offices.

For more information on the Congressional events or the Decade of Vision 2010-2020 Initiative, visit www.eyeresearch.org.