Cizik Eye Clinic receives $5,000 grant for low vision services

Thanks to a generous $5,000 grant from the Houston Delta Gamma Foundation, the Cizik Eye Clinic’s Dan Arnold Center for Vision Rehabilitation is reinforcing its support for people with low vision. The grant, designated for increasing access to therapy services, enhances occupational therapy services for what is already one of the nation’s most comprehensive vision rehabilitation programs.

“Our relationship with Houston Delta Gamma goes back a good 40 years,” said the Center’s director, Bhavani Iyer, OD, noting the organization’s ongoing generosity. “They even come out and participate in volunteer activities, helping us bridge the gap for underserved groups unable to access the therapy they need.”

The Center provides home therapy visits, mobility training, and free support groups for those adapting to visual impairment or sudden loss of sight due to macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, stroke, or other medical conditions. Patients range in age from 19 to 80 and older.

“The support group is a huge hit,” Dr. Iyer said. “It’s free for patients and engages them in a collaborative environment where they learn how to function with vision loss, learning practical skills tailored to their needs.” Gatherings feature demonstrations on cooking and crafting along with guidance on everything from using METROLift to dealing with depression.

The group, which meets monthly, is called RISE (Resilience Initiative for Support and Environment) at UTHealth Houston. Two occupational therapists, Grace Chang, OTR, OTD, and Diana Arnold, OTR, run the clinic, with coordinating assistance from students at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.

By fostering a sense of community among patients, students, doctors, and donors, the program has had a profoundly positive impact on everyone. “For me, the highlight is that we’re bringing patients together who would otherwise not participate,” Dr. Iyer said. “Here, they’re part of something.”

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