Register now for our Family Connection Conference on January 21, 2023, from 10:00 am - 1:30 pm ET. This conference is made possible by our generous PRRF Donors.
This year’s virtual conference focused on education for parents and caregivers will include research updates with the doctors, featured speakers, and breakout sessions.
AGENDA
10:00 AM-10:15 AM - Welcome & Introductions, Antonio Capone, Jr., M.D., PRRF Foundation President & Luisa Recchia, Community Outreach Coordinator
10:15 AM-10:45 AM - Research Update, Kimberly Drenser, M.D., Ph.D., PRRF Board Member, Research Committee Co-chair
10:45 AM-11:15 AM - Q&A Drs. Capone & Drenser
BREAK
11:15 AM-12:30 PM Breakout Rooms
Breakout Rooms Session 1
#1 Siblings: Rivalries, Empathy & Support
In this breakout room, we will discuss the effects—both positive and negative—that visual impairment can have on the relationship between siblings of all ages and what siblings and their parents can do to foster a supportive and encouraging family environment.
#2 Every Family Member’s Role in Advocacy
In this breakout room, we will discuss how the various members of visually-impaired children’s families can play a vital role in advocacy. This includes parents, siblings, and the children themselves.
Breakout Rooms Session 2
#3 Extended Family: Engaging & Empowering Participation with Extended Family
In this breakout room, we will discuss how extended family members can be engaged and empowered to participate in the different aspects of a family member with retinal disease. This starts with a deliberate plan coupled with understanding family strengths and a unified effort to blend support for a low-vision loved one.
#4 Friends: Support at Home and at School
In this breakout room, we will discuss the importance of friends of a low-vision family member and how these friends are so critical in support and encouragement at home, in the community, and at school.
BREAK
12:30 PM-1:00 PM - Guest Speaker - Wallace Stuckey
Wallace, who was diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) as a child, will share the strategies that he’s learned and the experiences that he’s had that have enabled him to thrive as a student who is legally blind. Wallace graduated from George Washington University in the spring of 2022 and now he serves as a website compliance accessibility analyst for the US House of Representatives. He tests the websites of Members of Congress to make sure that they are accessible to all constituents, including those with disabilities. He is also focusing on starting a graduate school program focused on foreign affairs. Ultimately, he hopes to join the US diplomatic corps by being accepted to the Department of State as a foreign service officer. Read his full bio here.
1:00 PM-1:30 PM - Closing Remarks, Dr. Capone