Full Text of SJR0076 95th General Assembly
SJ0076 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
SJ0076 |
|
LRB095 18679 KXB 44978 r |
|
| 1 |
| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, Glaucoma affects more than 2.2 million Americans | 3 |
| age 40 and older, including nearly 100,000 individuals in | 4 |
| Illinois; and
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, Glaucoma is one of many tragic health disparities, | 6 |
| affecting African-Americans six to eight times more frequently | 7 |
| than Caucasians; and
| 8 |
| WHEREAS, Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for | 9 |
| African-Americans, with elder African-Americans 14 to 16 times | 10 |
| more likely to go blind from glaucoma that their Caucasian | 11 |
| counterparts; and
| 12 |
| WHEREAS, Latinos and women are also disproportionately | 13 |
| affected by glaucoma in younger age groups; and
| 14 |
| WHEREAS, Glaucoma affects increasing numbers of older | 15 |
| people across all races and ethnic backgrounds, reducing the | 16 |
| quality of life for people in their golden years; and
| 17 |
| WHEREAS, Glaucoma causes people to lose their peripheral | 18 |
| sight, oftentimes without the individual knowing it, and | 19 |
| consequently only half of all people with glaucoma are aware of | 20 |
| their condition; and
|
|
|
|
SJ0076 |
- 2 - |
LRB095 18679 KXB 44978 r |
|
| 1 |
| WHEREAS, Because of the furtive nature of how glaucoma | 2 |
| progresses, it is commonly called the "Sneak Thief of Sight"; | 3 |
| and
| 4 |
| WHEREAS, Most cases of glaucoma can be controlled and | 5 |
| vision loss can be slowed or halted when identified and | 6 |
| treated; and
| 7 |
| WHEREAS, When glaucoma is undetected, lost sight cannot be | 8 |
| restored; and
| 9 |
| WHEREAS, Glaucoma runs in the family, yet few people know | 10 |
| to have regular dilated eye examinations if they are at a | 11 |
| higher risk via their family history; and
| 12 |
| WHEREAS, Prevent Blindness America, the nation's leading | 13 |
| voluntary health organization dedicated to saving sight and | 14 |
| preventing blindness for 100 years, in partnership with the | 15 |
| Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness, seeks to | 16 |
| educate the citizens of Illinois at large, and especially | 17 |
| people in communities of higher risk, about the dangers of | 18 |
| glaucoma and the importance of regular eye examinations; | 19 |
| therefore, be it
| 20 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL |
|
|
|
SJ0076 |
- 3 - |
LRB095 18679 KXB 44978 r |
|
| 1 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 2 |
| CONCURRING HEREIN, that we join with Prevent Blindness America | 3 |
| and the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness in | 4 |
| recognizing January as Glaucoma Awareness Month in the State of | 5 |
| Illinois; and be it further
| 6 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 7 |
| presented to Prevent Blindness America and the Illinois Society | 8 |
| for the Prevention of Blindness.
|
|