June 12, 2007

WHAT:

UAB’s remodeled and expanded Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation, the nation’s first fully integrated low vision rehabilitation center, is now open at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital at UAB. The center combines the expertise of four medical professions in one clinic; ophthalmology, optometry, occupational therapy and psychology. The new center occupies 3,311 square feet of clinic and office space and cost nearly $300,000.

WHY:

Low vision is a visual impairment not correctable by standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery. Approximately 14 million Americans, one out of every 20 people, have low vision.

WHEN/WHERE:

An official opening celebration is scheduled for Wed. June 13, at 6 p.m., featuring a ribbon cutting and tours of the new facility on the fourth floor of the Eye Foundation Hospital, 1720 University Blvd. UAB president Dr. Carol Garrison and other university leaders will make dedicatory remarks.

VISUALS:

A variety of high-tech magnifying and distance viewing devices, along with sophisticated diagnostic equipment, will be available for visuals.

BACKGROUND:

UAB first opened the Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation in Oct. 2002. “The new facility offers patients a more user-friendly environment, while maintaining all the services and treatments previously available,” said Dawn Decarlo, O.D., associate professor of ophthalmology and director of the center. “The new space will enhance patient care and facilitate research initiatives.” The center is operated jointly by the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and the UAB School of Optometry.

People with low vision can continue to function and live full lives with the aid of magnifying glasses, sophisticated electronic devices and computer-assisted imaging equipment. The center has the only scanning laser ophthalmoscope in Alabama and offers other high-tech tools, including the latest portable video magnifiers. The center is unique in featuring occupational therapy and psychology as components of care.