Top Events Legally Blind Should Attend in 2020

As defined by the US Social Security Administration(SSA):

Legal blindness is the condition when a person’s visual acuity of the better eye goes down to 20/200 even after the use of a corrective lens, or if one’s field of view, at its widest diameter, becomes limited to a 20 degree angle.

Legal blindness is quite a challenging visual handicap for a person to live with for a lifetime. Despite the visual disability benefits that legally blind people can avail themselves of under the Supplemental Security Income Program and the Insurance program offered by the US Social Security Administration (SSA), there are numerous other healthcare concerns and difficulties that people may still encounter as a result of their poor eye health condition.

Whether you suffer from legal blindness yourself or are helping a loved one cope with it, there are a number of social projects and educational events which we recommend that you keep yourself up-to-date with. Many such events are joint efforts of researchers, ophthalmologists, social workers and tech and healthcare companies which aspire to create a positive difference in the lives of visually impaired people.

Here’s a list of events you should surely be looking forward to in the year 2020. To know more about when and where these conferences will be organized, read on below.

Event # 1: (ATIA) Assistive Technology Assistive Association Conference

Venue: Caribe Royale Hotel and Convention Center – Orlando, Florida

Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference is one among many large scale events that provide a sponsored by powerful names such as Google, Microsoft, Control Bionics and others of the like.

This conference was first initiated in 1999 under CEO Mr. David Dikter and has ever since provided an ideal platform for innovative companies to showcase their products that help cope with different handicaps and disabilities across people of all ages.

The upcoming 6th Annual ATIA conference will be held in January 2020. ATIA typically hosts a very wide variety of audience including researchers and academic professionals world of disability. Speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, special education teachers, and then rehabilitation, who are creating new technology.

(More about ATIA Conference)

Event # 2: HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition

Venue: Orange County Convention Center, West Building

The 2020 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, is the must-attend technology and health informational event of the year. This event will bring together professionals throughout the global health ecosystem to join heads for education and innovation and collaboration. Inviting people from 90+ countries, HIMSS20 endorses its motto as: Be the Change.

The attendees are given a variety of simultaneously occurring 300+ educational sessions led by some of the expert industry leaders, 1,300+ vendors, hundreds of special programs and endless networking events.

(More about HIMSS 2020)

Event # 3: CSUN Assistive Technology Conference

Venue: Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California

CSUN Assistive Technology Conference is sponsored by Adobe, Google, Microsoft and other industrial names of the like. The conference arranges for pre-conference workshops which are designed to provide in-depth knowledge and training to the audience about specific topics such as, Building Accessible E-learning and Introduction to Assistive Technology.

What is more exciting is the fact the conference’s Exhibit Hall allows it’s visitors to experience first-hand the pioneering assistive technology displayed in over 100 booths. For almost 34 years, thousands of people have attended the CSUN Conference’s free Exhibit Hall to avail themselves of the opportunity to directly interact with the providers who develop the technology, products and services designed to promote inclusion for people with disabilities.

As a legally blind person, this would be an immensely useful opportunity for you to explore what’s new in the world of assistive tech that could help live your life in a much better way.

(More about CSUN Conference)

Event # 4: Envision Conference East 2020

Venue: The Ohio State University College of Optometry – Columbus, Ohio

Envision Conference is a multidisciplinary conference. The platform with aspires to close practice gaps and spreading the latest advancements in rehabilitation techniques, research and technology among the general public and professionals alike.

Professionals such as optometrists, ophthalmologists, researchers, occupational therapists, nurses, teachers of the visually impaired, government policymakers, manufacturers/vendors of assistive technology come together on the Envision Conference East platform to share knowledge and gain access to the latest research developments, assistive technology and crossover considerations in fields such as neurology and psychology.

(More about Envision East 2020)

Event # 5: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2020 Annual Meeting

Venue: Baltimore, Maryland

The ARVO Annual Meeting provides a platform for researchers from over 80 countries to come and share what they’ve investigated and explored with reference to the medical advancements in industry. It also provides technology exhibitors a platform to display the latest visual aid technology as well as to allow the visitors a close-up look at the emerging visual-aid solutions they could possibly opt for a more enriched life experience.

(More about ARVO 2020)

Event # 6: 2020 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo

Venue: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Massachusetts

The AOTA Annual Conference is the world’s largest gathering of occupational therapy professional, featuring inspiring speakers, more than 2000 educational and poster sessions, and an Expo Hall showcasing all the latest products and opportunities. It allows a golden chance for its attendees to get fresh perspectives on the research advancements, and deepen their understanding of the profession.

(More about AOTA Annual Conference)

Event # 7: SightCity Frankfurt Exhibition 2020

Venue: Kap Europa, Convention center Messe Frankfurt, Germany

SightCity Frankfurt, which is the biggest exhibition for the legally blind in Germany, is an annual exhibition which showcases visual aids for the blind and the visually impaired. The exhibition offers perks and convenience services such as free entrance and half- hourly pick-up-service for visually impaired visitors from the train platforms/ airport.

On arrival of its audience, the exhibition platform holds an astonishing number of visual novelties from all over the world, and visual aid products that have gone through test-and-trial by expert manufacturers – the motive of which is to assist the legally blind population of the country.

(More about SightCity 2020)

Event # 8: (TOA) Texas Ophthalmological Association Annual Meeting

Venue: Dallas

The Texas Ophthalmological Association is a non-profit organization. It has been promoting and taking steps for advancing the science and art of medical eye care since its foundation was laid in 1956.

With as many as 844 physicians as its members, the Texas Ophthalmological Association holds an annual meeting for their collaboration and sharing of the newest research in the visual health field.

(More about Texas Ophthalmological Association)

Event # 9: (AOA) American Optometric Association Meeting 2020

Venue: National Harbor, Washington, D.C.

The American Optometric Association is a healthcare organization that represents more than 44,000 optometric specialists (O.D.) who are focused on providing people with expert vision care and eye health services.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) and American Optometric Student Association is aspiring to host their annual meeting for 2020 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, DC.

It aims at advocating, educating and celebrating the long continued professional development of Optometrists’ community. Students and doctors from around the state gather together in support of growing opportunities to train optometrists to examine, diagnose, treat and manage eye diseases and conditions.

(More about American Optometric Association)

Event # 10: American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) Annual Meeting

Venue: Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, Washington

The annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists provides a platform for retina specialists worldwide to join together on a single platform and share their latest research with their fellow colleagues and the other interested audience for an increased circle of knowledge, which could potentially improve the lives of people who are inflicted by visual problems due to retinal conditions and damages.

Event # 11: (BVA) Blinded Veterans Association Charity Concert

Venue: Richard J Ernst Community Cultural Center

In an effort to include and wholeheartedly welcome the Blinded Veterans of the state into the community, the Blinded Veterans Association will be arranging a charity concert as a source of entertainment for all people that essentially provides space for the blind to enjoy their lives.

The concert features two of the biggest singer songwriters in Country Music, Kent Blazy & Cory Batten, who will light up the evening for their visually impaired audience.

(More about BVA Light Up The Darkness Concert)

Event # 12: Vision Expo West 2020

Venue: Sands Expo Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

International Vision Expo & Conference in Las Vegas is an event that could reap benefit for anyone and everyone in the eye care industry. The expo aims at providing you everything from the latest eyewear trends to the most innovative optical technology as well as the best ophthalmic business solutions.

Moreover, their platform also offers the ophthalmic professionals to join with over 15,000 eye care professionals, buyers and influencers – to gain clinical training, knowledge and educational insight.

(More about Vision Expo West)

Event # 13: Envision Conference West 2020

Venue: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas

This annual conference gives you the opportunity to keep up-to-date with the latest advancements in research, practice and technology with relevance to visual aids and eye health. Envision Conference West is dedicated to vision rehabilitation and it also provides a chance of networking with medical experts, researchers and industry leaders — all wanting to share their ideas on how to improve the lives of people with low vision problems.

(More about Envision Conference West 2020)

Event # 14: (AAO) American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting 2020

Venue: Sands Expo/Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada

American Academy of Ophthalmology will be holding its annual meeting next year with a featured exhibition of ophthalmic technology, products and services as it did last year. It will provide you with a chance to learn from the experts, engage in conversations with colleagues and broaden your knowledge with the latest perspectives in visual healthcare.

(More about AAO Annual Meeting 2020)

Event # 15: (AAO) American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting

Venue: Nashville, Tennessee

The American Academy of Optometry holds an annual meeting wherein it hosts a large gathering of optometric professionals, vision scientists, ophthalmologists, students, and anyone else who may be interested in optometric continuing education and research – for nearly 300 hours. This meeting features lectures & workshops, symposia, and scientific lecture, spanned over 4 days, to provide the highest quality continuing education and the most current vision science research.

An exciting addition to this meeting is the exhibit hall display, with over 200 booths allowing their audience an interactive session with a variety of the latest optometric products and services.

(More about AAO Annual Meeting)

Keep a track of the upcoming events to make the most of them.