Video Presentations

The following video presentations require Quicktime for viewing. If you do not have Quicktime, download it here.

*If you have a dial-up connection, the download times for these video presentations could be very long.

These video presentations are excerpts from the AMDF's award winning DVD, Hope & Cope — Living with Macular Degeneration. It has received the CINE Golden Eagle Award (Science and Technology category), The Communicator Award of Distinction, Worldfest Houston Bronze Award and the Videographer Award of Distinction.

Blindness... The word alone evokes fear. Few people are aware that macular degeneration, which leads to central vision loss, is the main cause of blindness for those 55 and older in the United States. It affects more than 10 million Americans. That number is expected to increase significantly as the population ages.
[Quicktime (mov), 22 seconds, 2.97MB]

Animation of Wet and Dry Macular Degeneration... There are two basic types of macular degeneration – wet and dry. Approximately 90% of people who have macular degeneration have the dry type. In the dry form, debris from light sensitive cones in the macula is not absorbed as it should be and undigested yellow mounds called drusen are formed causing central vision to become blurry and foggy. Vision loss is gradual but 10% of sufferers may progress to the wet form. Wet macular degeneration is characterized by the formation of new blood vessels in the choroid layer of the retina. These new blood vessels leak fluid or bleed causing a bulge behind the macula and distorting vision. Dried fluid causes scarring and dark blind spots. Vision loss may be rapid and severe. 90% of people with wet macular degeneration will become legally blind.
[Quicktime (mov), 56 seconds, 9.96 MB]

What a Person with AMD Sees - Joan W. Miller, M.D., Chief and Chair of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary... If you had macular degeneration and you were looking at me now, you would not be able to see my face, but you'd be able to make out my arms and shoulders, and it's somewhat disconcerting for patients.
[Quicktime (mov), 10 seconds, 1.30 MB]

Depression – Steven D. Schwartz, M.D., Chief, Retina Division, Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA... Patients often experience a very profound sense of depression. They're scared that they are going to lose their independence. It's extraordinarily depressing and what they don't realize, and one of the places it's most gratifying to intervene, is to be able to tell these people with confidence that their depression is going to lift because their independence is not going to be as badly curtailed as they fear.
[Quicktime (mov), 22 seconds, 4.41 MB]

American Macular Degeneration Foundation's
Public Service Announcement

Emmy Award winning actor Ed Asner volunteered his time and talent to deliver a powerful message illustrating the severe central vision loss that occurs with macula degeneration. Asner's public service announcements (PSAs) for the AMDF are airing across the country including New York, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The AMDF has developed two 30-second public service announcements for television. This is one of those PSAs.

Public Service Announcement with Ed Asner... Today, macular degeneration impairs the sight of over 10 million Americans. By age 75, more than 25% will be affected. Maybe you'll notice immediately or it might pass unnoticed for months. Don't lose sight of what matters. Contact the American Macular Degeneration Foundation at 1-888-MACULAR or visit their website at macular.org. Thank you.
[Quicktime (mov), 31 seconds, 5.51 MB]