NORWICH – According to the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment (AVRE), February is National Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month. The AVRE hopes to be able to increase awareness of macular degeneration and inform individuals of the services available to them.

The AVRE helps close to 200 Chenango County residents and nearly 2,000 residents throughout the nine counties that they serve. “Our mission is to assist people who have a vision disability enhance life quality,” the AVRE web site says. The non-profit organization does this by concentrating on two aspects major aspects of life for the vision impaired.

“The two things we focus on are orientation mobility and rehabilitation therapy,” said Director of Development and Communications Jennifer Cubic. Through orientation mobility training, AVRE members teach clients how to adapt to life with their vision problem. This includes helping them navigate their homes as well as getting used to using public transportation.

“Rehabilitation therapy runs the gamut of anything they need to maintain a standard of living,” Cubic said. A big portion pertains to employment, whether it be finding a new job or adapting to their current one.