Save Your Vision Week, 2010

Proclamation 8483 of March 5, 2010

Save Your Vision Week, 2010

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

While many Americans are fortunate to have healthy
eyes, millions are affected by low vision or blindness.
Maintaining good vision requires early diagnosis and
timely treatment of eye conditions. Save Your Vision
Week is a time for all Americans to take action to
protect their sight.

Vision loss affects everyone, from infants with genetic
conditions, to teens and adults with refractive errors,
to older individuals with cataracts and other age-
related eye diseases. Through recent studies,
scientists and clinicians have identified risk factors,
early detection methods, and new treatments for many
eye conditions, but individuals can also take steps to
protect their own vision.

By getting regular eye examinations, Americans can take
advantage of medical breakthroughs that allow early
detection and treatment of vision loss. Doctors also
recommend maintaining a healthy diet, not smoking, and
wearing sunglasses or suitable eye protection when
playing sports or performing household chores and yard
work. This week, I encourage all Americans to visit the
National Eye Institute website at www.NEI.NIH.gov to
find eye care professionals in communities across our
country and to access the latest eye health
information.

To remind Americans about the importance of
safeguarding their eyesight, the United States
Congress, by joint resolution approved December 30,
1963, as amended (77 Stat. 629; 36 U.S.C. 138), has
authorized and requested the President to proclaim the
first week in March of each year as ``Save Your Vision
Week.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 7
through March 13, 2010, as Save Your Vision Week.
During this time, I invite eye care professionals,
teachers, members of the media, and all organizations
dedicated to preserving eyesight to join in activities
that will raise awareness of eye and vision health.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord two
thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.