VISION LOSS
THE PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE

Jane Armstrong
 Senior Vice President

January 31, 2004

Canadians’ attitudes toward vision loss  -  a wake-up call that cannot be ignored!

"May 29 to June 17"

"To what extent do Canadians..."

To what extent do Canadians value their eyesight?

"Many more Canadians fear losing..."

Most feared disability

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Miss most if vision lost

Miss most if vision lost

Vision loss would significantly affect Canadians

Coping with vision loss

Perceived effect of vision loss on standard of living

How much do Canadians know about the threat of vision loss?

How much do Canadians know about
 the leading cause of blindness in North Americans over 50?

- Age-related Macular Degeneration -

Awareness of AMD
is very low

What Canadians know about AMD

Reported familiarity with AMD

Perception of part of body affected by AMD

Most common cause of serious vision loss

What Canadians know about AMD

Perceptions of groups at risk

Perceptions of type of vision loss caused by AMD


What, if anything, should be done to address the issue of vision loss?


Governments should do more

"Almost unanimous agreement that provincial..."

Provincial government should fund

Provincial government should fund

Provincial government should fund

"Ontarians are generally more supportive..."

Conclusions

What we learned from the survey

What we learned from the survey (continued)

Canadians’ attitudes toward vision loss  -  a wake-up call that cannot be ignored!

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