Johnson & Johnson Visions Supports Unique In-Home Program for Babies with Visual Impairments

Dozens of Orange County preschoolers with visual impairments marked the start of the 2017 school year with a celebratory luncheon at the Blind Children’s Learning Center (BCLC) today. Highlighting the day’s events was the presentation of a $10,000 check from Johnson & Johnson Vision to support BCLC’s Global Infant Development program, which provides in-home services to children who are blind or have visual impairments, and their families.
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“We are grateful for this new charitable contribution from Johnson & Johnson Vision,” said Colleen O’Higgins Roach, President and Executive Director of the nonprofit BCLC.

Johnson & Johnson Vision employees present a $10,000 charitable gift to Blind Children's Learning Center on August 29, 2017.

Visual impairments place children at severe risk of delayed development in almost all aspects of their life -- including physical, social, emotional, adaptive, cognitive and communications areas -- which is why program provides critical interventions from the very earliest phases of a child’s life.

“Johnson & Johnson recognizes that sight is a precious sense, and that’s what motivates us to help improve and restore sight for more patients around the globe,” said Raymond Kong, Regional Vice President, Commercial Americas, Surgical, Johnson & Johnson Vision. “We are so pleased to support this program, as we have seen first-hand the incredible impact the Center can have through the experiences of one of our own employees, whose daughter is a student at the Center.” Johnson & Johnson Vision will deliver support to the BCLC’s Global Infant Development Program through its surgical vision operating company, Abbott Medical Optics Inc. 

Children Receive Customized Support

BCLC’s Global Infant Development program provides customized therapeutic services to address each individual child’s needs, whether they are blind, visually impaired, or deaf and blind. And, because infants with visual impairment often experience other concurrent health conditions or may otherwise be medically fragile, BCLC’s Infant Vision Stimulation Specialists are dispatched to make “house calls” directly to each child’s home.

The Infant Vision Stimulation Specialist works directly with the child and their family members, introducing adaptive methods and various tools intended to encourage the child’s development, maximize their vision potential and effectively compensate for their lack of vision. Educational resources also are provided for family members who want to support their child’s unique development needs. Each child’s care is coordinated by a team of specialists, including licensed Occupational Therapists (OTs), speech and language pathologists (SLPs), Physical Therapists (PTs), and marriage and family therapists (MFTs). When the child is ready, they may transition to the Bright Visions Early Childhood Center, located on BCLC’s campus in North Tustin, California. ​

Raymond Kong, Regional Vice President, Commercial Americas, Surgical of Johnson & Johnson Vision observes a session of Occupational Theray.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of raising a child with special needs is approximately four times greater than a typically developing child, making it important to provide services to at-need children and their families at low to no cost. Nearly all of the Center’s students are from low- to moderate-income families.

“The generous charitable contribution from Johnson & Johnson Vision will enable us to support an estimated 70 children and their families through our Global Infant Development Program, allowing us to extend our essential early intervention services to even more local infants and toddlers,” said Irene Takahashi, BCLC’s Director of Outreach. 

About BCLC
Blind Children’s Learning Center, a non-profit agency, provides services for children with visual impairments. Founded in 1962 by adults who were blind, the organization was originally called “Services for the Blind, Inc.” The founders quickly discovered the key to helping a person with visual impairments was to start working with them at a very early age. Today the agency serves children and their families through the Global Infant Development Program, Bright Visions Early Childhood Center (an onsite preschool – 2nd grade) and Youth Outreach Services with the mission to prepare children with visual impairments for a life of independence through early intervention, education and family support. For more information, please visit www.blindkids.org

​Vision Therapy helps infants and toddlers with visual impairments maximize their vision potential.

About Johnson & Johnson Vision
Johnson & Johnson Vision is committed to improving and restoring sight for patients worldwide. Since debuting the world's first disposable soft contact lens in 1987, it has been helping patients see better through the world-leading ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses portfolio. In 2017, Johnson & Johnson invested further in eye health by expanding into cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery (LASIK) and consumer eye health. Serving more than 60 million patients a day across 103 countries, Johnson & Johnson Vision is committed to helping more people in more places improve or restore their sight. Dual headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and Santa Ana, California, Johnson & Johnson Vision has more than 8,400 employees worldwide.