News Release

09/19/08
NATIONAL EYE SITE EXHIBIT VISITS PPL!
Throughout October, the Library Invites You to Take in These Free Eye Opening Events...

Providence Public Library is pleased to announce the following FREE events, including eye screenings and other educational programs, to be held at its Central Library, 150 Empire Street, Providence, in conjunction with the visiting National EYE SITE Exhibit, through October. The Exhibit is in Lippitt Hall, 1st Floor; programs will take place in the third floor Barnard Room.

Family Eye Day @ PPL ~ OCTOBER 5 — 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Meet Monica & her Guide Dog Wilissa - 1:30 pm
Monica Dzialo will talk about life with a guide dog and the various advantages and disadvantages to using a service animal versus a white cane when one is visually impaired. She will also discuss the different school available for guide dog training and their pros and cons.

Dzialo is the Workforce Development Supervisor for the Office of Rehabilitation Services. Their mission is to assist businesses with recruitment and hiring, as a no-cost workforce resource, and to help individuals with disabilities to choose, find, and keep quality jobs.

The Amazing Life of a Child with Low Vision 2:30 pm
Linda Hughes will talk about her son’s amazing life from his summers at Camp Mauchatea in RI, to a PhD program at Oxford Cambridge, to his sailing adventures, and his current job at Apple. She will share her experience as a parent, as well as provide valuable resources to other parents whose children are visually challenged.

Linda Hughes is the Casework Supervisor for Rhode Island’s Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, whose mission it is to provide individuals with visual impairments the opportunities and support that enable them to become independent, active, self-sustaining members of the community.

OCTOBER 19 ~ Dr. George Brown, Optometrist, 3 - 4 pm
Dr. George J. Brown, O.D., will discuss eye health; specifically, how we can best care for our eyes throughout our lifetime, as well as what we can expect from common vision problems and ailments.

Dr. Brown, of The Brown Center in East Providence, is a recognized leader in the field of eye care, with specialties in complicated contact lens care, eye emergencies and eye diseases, pediatrics, and vision therapy. Also, he has been a clinical investigator for treatments of dry eye and computer vision syndrome. Dr. Brown has been an active member of our community and in the local optometric association where he served as President (1999-2000).

OCTOBER 26 ~ FREE Vision Testing by Providence Optical, 2 - 3 pm
A vision screening does not take the place of a complete eye examination, but it can assist you in determining if you are in need of a comprehensive eye exam, and whether that need is urgent, emergent, or needed moderately soon. Occasionally, a vision screening can help someone to become aware of difficulties with their vision that they are not aware of.

OCTOBER 26 ~ Dr. Peter DeBlasio, Ophthalmologist, 3 - 4 pm
Dr. DeBlasio will discuss major eye diseases along with treatment options and management strategies for specific eye diseases and ailments such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and more.

Dr. Peter F. DeBlasio, Jr., MD, heads the Division of Ophthalmology at St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island, and also sees patients at his ophthalmologic practice in North Providence. In his spare time, he teaches, lectures, and publishes on the discipline and health benefits of Tai Chi.

THE EYE SITE Exhibit is part of the Low Vision Education Program from the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Eye Institute (NEI) conducts and supports research that leads to sight-saving treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment and blindness.

To learn more about NEI, visit www.nei.nih.gov. Learn more about low vision at www.nei.nih.gov/nehep.

Providence Public Library is committed to providing quality programming on a variety of educational topics. The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Library. We welcome community members to work with us to provide free, thought-provoking events of interest.

A 130-year-old private, not-for-profit institution, Providence Public Library is dedicated to providing free educational, lifelong learning and enrichment opportunities for all, regardless of background, age or income.