Community Events in West Virginia Raise Awareness of Blindness and Low Vision
On August 26, AFB hosted two community events at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, raising awareness of vision loss among older adults and premiering its new documentary short, Unseen Horizons.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), West Virginia has the highest prevalence of blindness in the U.S. These events reflect AFB’s ongoing commitment to challenging misconceptions about blindness nationwide.
“For over two decades, AFB has maintained its business and finance operations in Huntington, and for many staff, giving back to this community is deeply meaningful,” said Tony Stephens, AFB’s Assistant Vice President for Communications and director of Unseen Horizons.
Stephens, who is blind, traveled to the region over the past year to document the lives of six West Virginians with vision loss. “Too often, documentaries portray people with disabilities as superheroes,” he explained. “We wanted to show a real journey toward independence and freedom.”
In addition to the film’s evening premiere, AFB hosted an afternoon session focused on older adults experiencing vision loss. The session, led by Dr. Arielle Silverman, AFB’s Director of Research, and Dr. Pris Rogers, AFB’s Senior Advisor for Aging and Vision Loss, brought together healthcare advocates and leaders from area assisted living centers.
AFB President and CEO Eric Bridges attended the events, made possible through the generous support of the Teubert Foundation.
Watch Unseen Horizons now on the AFB YouTube channel or learn more at afb.org/unseen-horizons.
