New Article on Aging and Vision Loss

AAVL Director Larry Johnson has written an article entitled “Meet the Challenge of U.S. Elders With Vision Loss” which has been published in the American Society on Aging’s Generations publication.  For a link to this article and information about ASA, visit the ASA Generations Articles page.

The Terri Lynn Fundraiser is Back

AAVL Terri Lynn webpage

Whether you are looking for stocking stuffers or a gift for a neighbor or co-worker, or wish to say seasons greetings to a friend or relative living far away from you, our Terri Lynn Fundraiser offers a solution.  As a reminder, Terri Lynn sends a portion of your payment to AAVL when you purchase from a selection of great snacks including nuts, many of which are covered in chocolate, and assorted candies.  It provides free shipping for most orders shipping throughout the United States.  Ordering is simple and can be done on our own web page on the Terri Lynn web site. You can also email Paul at fundraising@aavl-blind-seniors.org to place your order and it should arrive within 10 to 14 days.  If you would rather place your order through a customer service representative, just call 1-800-323-0775 and let the representative know that you wish to place an order for AAVL  or Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss.  They are available from the hours of 10 AM to 5 PM, central time, and are based in the Chicago area.  If you have any questions, please contact Paul Lewis at 941-841-9640 (voice & text) or email fundraising@aavl-blind-seniors.org. You can also download the flyer here. Thank you for supporting AAVL!

Thinking of Joining AAVL?

AAVL continuously seeks to recruit members. To complete the online form and pay online go directly to our membership page.

The Membership Drive for 2024 is now open!

AAVL will be drawing for three prizes of $50 each.  Any returning member or new member who joins and pays dues by February 1, 2024 will be in the drawing.  If you win the drawing, you have the choice of good old cash or an Amazon gift card.  AAVL board members are not eligible for the drawing.  Please visit the Membership page and join!

AAVL Mission

The purpose of the Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss is to strive to improve the well-being of adults experiencing vision loss through ... Read more

AAVL Cares established by the Membership Committee

AAVL’s membership committee has established a group of people to participate in AAVL Cares.  They will be available for you to talk to so that you can share events in your life such as getting a guide dog, moving, having surgery and the like.  If you would like for one of these people to give you a call and check in on you from time to time, they are ready and willing  to do this so just let us know.  Sharon Strzalkowski and Patty Slaby are the people that you can contact.  Sharon is at (508) 363-3866, strzal@charter.net.  Patty is at (608) 323-3614, pattyslaby135@gmail.com.

Come to AAVL’s 25th Anniversary Party

AAVL will celebrate its 25 years of providing advocacy, resources and support to older persons dealing with sight loss on Saturday, February 10, 2024, through a Zoom gathering from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM EST.  The Teddie Joy Remhild Award described below will be granted at the celebration.  For more information about the other events that will occur, visit the Events page.

New Teddie Joy Remhild Service Award

AAVL’s Award Committee will grant the first Teddie Joy Remhild Service Award to an AAVL member who has provided exemplary service to AAVL and older persons experiencing vision loss.  Nominations for this award are being accepted through December 10, 2023.  For more information about this important award and who may be eligible to receive it, please visit the Events page.

Hourglass Newsletter

The current Hourglass Newsletters is found at https://aavl-blind-seniors.org/hourglass where you can read it online or download either MS Word, .pdf, or .txt files. Past issues can be found at https://www.aavl-blind-seniors.org/hourglass-archives.
The Editor of the Hourglass can be reached by email at hourglass@aavl-blind-seniors.org.

AAVL Holds Monthly Meetings

AAVL’s Board meets monthly, generally on the first Sunday of every month starting at 8:00 PM Eastern time, 7:00 PM Central time, 6:00 PM Mountain time, 5:00 PM Pacific time and 2:00 PM Hawaiian time. AAVL’s September Board meeting will be held on September 11 at the usual meeting time. All AAVL members and anyone interested in joining AAVL or learning more about its activities are welcome to attend.  The meetings are held on Zoom. The AAVL listserv provides the Zoom info for AAVL meetings shortly before they occur. To keep abreast of AAVL events, you can join the aavl-l listserv, or join AAVL for $15/year by contacting AAVL's Treasurer at treasurer@aavl-blind-seniors.org.

AAVL Board and Member Meeting Minutes

Below is the latest approved meeting minutes of the AAVL. Choose the link below to download the MS Word file. Past meeting minutes can be found at AAVL Meeting Minutes.
2023 October - AAVL Board Meeting Minutes

NOTE: How You Can Help AAVL Coordinate with Area Agencies on Aging

AAVL, a special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) is developing a project to learn more about the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), how they are the same, and how they are different across the country. Read here how you can help.

AAVL’s Advocacy Committee is advocating to amend the Older Americans Act (OAA)

AAVL’s Advocacy Committee is advocating to amend the Older Americans Act (OAA), which will be up for reauthorization next year.  While the OAA is the primary source of funding for programs serving older adults, it has traditionally had very little or no impact on addressing the needs of older blind and low vision persons in part due to the fact that blindness or low vision are not mentioned at all in the Act. AAVL’s Advocacy Committee is seeking volunteers to change this by lobbying Senators on the two committees responsible for working on the reauthorization, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Senate Committee on Aging.  If you would like to help, please contact Anisio Correia, Vice President, AAVL Advocacy Committee Chair, Anisiocorreia1@outlook.com or Larry Johnson, AAVL Board Member, larjo1@prodigy.net.

Welcome to Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss

Download our MS Word or .pdf one-page brochure here: AAVL one-page brochure MS Word   AAVL one-page brochure.pdf.

The Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss (AAVL) is a non-profit organization in which membership is open to blind, visually impaired and sighted individuals.  While people of all ages are welcome to join, AAVL focuses on concerns of persons who have lost or are losing sight later in life, or who have dealt with sight loss for much of their lives and are now entering their later years.  It advocates for the improvement of the social, economic and cultural status of adults with vision loss, supporting education awareness and adult rehabilitation programs for the blind and visually impaired.  To accomplish this, it investigates both governmental and private services that may benefit its clientele.  In addition, it seeks to sponsor cultural, educational and athletic activities of interest to its members and to inform the public about sight loss in older populations.  Its members also provide mutual encouragement and support through social interaction.  AAVL is a special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB).
 
In furtherance of its mission, AAVL has established this web site to provide information that may be of use both to those persons who are currently experiencing vision loss and to those persons who have dealt with sight loss for some time.  This web site's Organization page has information about AAVL’s organization and governing structure including a list of its current officers and board members.  The Events page provides information about events sponsored by AAVL or in which it participates. The Resources page provides outside resources serving persons with vision loss including government agencies and private organizations. The Transportation and Mobility page offers transportation and mobility options and training. You may also find helpful the Technology page and the Commercial Aids page. Make sure to check out the Recreation page which describes recreation and entertainment activities specifically for low and no vision persons.  Finally, the Donations page describes how to make donations to AAVL, which is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization and all donations are welcome and tax deductible.
 
AAVL maintains a listserv where its members post information and communicate with each other.  The address to subscribe is AAVL-L+subscribe@acblists.org.

For more information about AAVL or to join, please contact its President at president@aavl-blind-seniors.org, download 2024 AAVL Membership Form here or visit our Membership page.
 
You can help support AAVL’s activities by purchasing delicious chocolates, nuts, and snacks as part of AAVL’s Terrilynn fundraiser. To access this fundraiser, go to https://aavl.terrilynn.com  or call 800-323-0775.  If you call, be sure to let them know you are calling for the AAVL fundraiser. If you have any questions or need any assistance you can also e-mail AAVL fundraising chair, Paul Lewis at lewpil1952@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting AAVL! You can also download the flyer here.

The information contained in this web site is provided as a service and does not constitute legal advice or service or product endorsements. This web site tries to provide quality information, but makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this web site.

Read here AAVL's Privacy Policy page.