Funding Announcement: 2011 BRFSS Survey Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) would like to announce an opportunity for states to receive funding to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The BRFSS is the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984. The first optional vision module was introduced in 2005. The Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module contains nine questions to assess prevalence of self-reported visual impairment, eye disease, eye injury, access to eye care, lack of eye care insurance, and eye examination among individuals aged 40 years and older.

Through generous support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PBA and NACDD will fund between 8-10 states to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 BRFSS. Pending the availability of additional funding, more states may be able to receive funds to implement this module. We encourage all states to apply and take advantage of this important tool for measuring and managing your state’s vision and eye health.

Instructions to apply for funding to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 BRFSS:

Funding Request: Please provide a funding request for the cost of implementing the vision impairment and access to eye care model. Include a budget narrative outlining the associated costs and expenses. Funding amounts will vary between individual states. Please limit your budget and budget narrative to one page.

Narrative: Please provide a brief statement describing how measuring the state-level vision and eye disease burden will allow for the development and dissemination of targeted public health strategies to address these and associated issues. Please limit your narrative to no more than one double-spaced page with one inch margins and 12 point font.

Due Date: 5pm EST Friday, July 9th, 2010

Submission: Please email your application to Nita Patel, Director of Public Health at Prevent Blindness America, at npatel@preventblindness.org

Announcements: Funding announcements will be made in August 2010.

PBA and NACDD look forward to your state’s interest in the improvement of vision and eye health surveillance at state and local levels by including the optional Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in your 2011 BRFSS survey.

Download the BRFSS Funding announcement flyer.