[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 10 (Monday, March 13, 2000)]
[Pages 475-476]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7280--Save Your Vision Week, 2000

March 6, 2000

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Sight is a precious gift that enables us to experience the wonder of 
the world around us; but few of us think about what we would do if we 
lost our vision. Unfortunately, millions of Americans must face this 
challenge because of conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye 
disease, or age-related macular degeneration.
    Our most powerful tool in the battle against vision loss is early 
detection. A dilated eye examination can reveal signs of many eye 
diseases and disorders long before a patient experiences pain or any 
other noticeable symptom. Through early intervention and treatment, the 
vision loss accompanying such diseases can be reduced, postponed, or 
even prevented. Protective eyewear can also play a vital role in saving 
vision, particularly for individuals who use chemicals or operate 
machinery.
    There is hope as well for people who suffer from low vision. 
Affecting 1 in 20 Americans, low vision is an impairment that cannot be 
corrected by standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, and 
interferes with one's ability to participate in everyday activities. 
While it can occur in people of all ages and backgrounds, low vision 
primarily affects the growing population of people over 65 years old; 
other higher risk populations, including Hispanic and African Americans, 
are more likely to develop low vision at an earlier age.
    While vision loss usually cannot be restored, vision rehabilitation 
techniques and products can make daily life much easier for people with 
low vision. From improved lighting in stairways and closets to talking 
clocks and computers to large-print labels on appliances, there are 
numerous products and services that can help people with low vision

[[Page 476]]

maintain their confidence and independence, and improve their overall 
quality of life.
    Every day, physicians and researchers make progress in the search 
for better treatments--and ultimately a cure--for vision loss. In this 
new century, emerging technologies will improve upon existing visual 
devices and techniques, and new medications will ensure more effective 
treatment of eye diseases and disorders. By investing in research and 
technology and committing to regular comprehensive eye examinations, we 
can ensure a brighter, healthier future for ourselves and our children.
    To remind Americans of the importance of safeguarding their 
eyesight, the Congress, by joint resolution approved December 30, 1963 
(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, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim March 5 through March 11, 2000, as 
Save Your Vision Week. I urge all Americans to participate by making eye 
care and eye safety an important part of their lives and to ensure that 
dilated eye examinations are included in their regular health 
maintenance programs. I invite eye care professionals, the media, and 
all public and private organizations dedicated to preserving eyesight to 
join in activities that will raise awareness of the measures we can take 
to protect and sustain our vision.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of 
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of 
the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., March 8, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March 
9.