National Keratoconus Foundation
The National Keratoconus Foundation (NKCF) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the quality of life of persons with keratoconus. It does this by making educational material available to them, their families and their eye care professionals, including both optometrists and ophthalmologists. They develop support groups on a local level to encourage dialogue among patients and practitioners, by presenting seminars on all aspects of the condition. The National Keratoconus Foundation also supports research into the causes, treatment and possible cure of keratoconus.
The National Keratoconus Foundation provides newsletters, offering information about keratoconus. This information includes new treatment options for keratoconus, as well as information about new contact lenses and contact lens care products. The National Keratoconus Foundation newsletter is published 3 times a year and is distributed to individuals and eye care practitioners worldwide.
The National Keratoconus Foundation maintains a list of outreach volunteers for those individuals who want personal contact with other keratoconus patients. These can be contacted at info@nkcf.org.
The National Keratoconus Foundation also offers educational seminars in many cities throughout the US.
Support groups are a means of meeting others with keratoconus, learning more about this condition, sharing information, and coping skills. The National Keratoconus Foundation will assist individuals who would like to start a local support group.
The National Keratoconus Foundation offers a list of eye care providers who have a special expertise in treating keratoconus. The Ophthalmologists who participate are Board Certified in Ophthalmology and Fellowship trained in Cornea and External Eye Diseases. The Optometrists are primarily Diplomats of the Cornea and Contact Lens Division of the American Academy of Optometrists (AAO) and the Contact Lens Fitters are Fellows of the Contact Lens Society of America.
The National Keratoconus Foundation reports collaborative research efforts at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Meeting. They host roundtable discussion meetings each year that are attended by an international group of ophthalmologists, optometrists, and scientists.
For anyone interested in learning more about the National Keratoconus Foundation, we recommend visiting their web site at www.nkcf.org.
