Angel Perez was introduced to KnowTheGlow through Dr. Sandra Block, President of the World Council of Optometry. Through this connection, Megan Webber, Co-Founder of KnowTheGlow, discovered her work with the Florida and Virgin Islands DeafBlind Collaborative (FAVI) and Good-lite and her deep commitment to improving the health and welfare of children. What began as an introduction quickly became an inspiring exchange that revealed a career devoted to children with combined vision and hearing loss and a personal journey that embodies the very heart of the KTG mission and the life-changing power of early detection.
Angel’s commitment to early detection began with her own family when she noticed that one of her grandchild’s pupils was larger than the other, a condition called anisocoria. What could have been overlooked proved to be important. In her grandchild’s case, it was treatable, but if left unnoticed, it could have been a sign of a serious neurological condition. This experience reinforced for her how critical it is to pay attention and act quickly when something seems out of the ordinary.
Angel has spent more than 16 years working with children who are deafblind or have other sensory disabilities. She earned a PhD in Vision Science Research with an emphasis in Sensory Disabilities from the University of Alabama at Birmingham along with two master’s degrees in Visual Impairments and in Communication Disorders and Deafness. As part of FAVI she now supports families and educators across Florida and the Virgin Islands with a focus on literacy, technology, clinical research, and lifelong learning for children with sensory disabilities.
Her annual work trips to the Virgin Islands have given her a clear view of the challenges families face when there is only one ophthalmologist available across three islands. Training service providers to recognize early signs of vision and hearing issues is vital because, without this knowledge, children often go undiagnosed and untreated.
Angel’s advocacy extends to conditions that are often overlooked, including cortical visual impairment (CVI), a brain-based disorder that affects how visual information is processed. It is one of the leading causes of childhood blindness, yet is unfamiliar to most people. Children with this condition may see but are unable to process what they are looking at. With early diagnosis and intervention, many can gain significant improvement, but it requires someone to notice the signs in time. For Angel, this awareness work is driven by a heartfelt determination to stand up for children who cannot yet speak for themselves.
Angel’s passion came through in the conversation with Megan and Helene Dameris, KTG Director of Global Outreach, as she described the screenings she teaches others to conduct, the cancers and vision conditions she refuses to let be missed, and her belief that too many so-called rare diseases are simply undetected. She shared how much she despises what cancer does to families and how strongly she advocates for early recognition of retinoblastoma and other life-altering conditions. Angel also spoke about her conversations with Dr. David Hunter, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at Boston Children’s Hospital and co-founder of Rebion. David has dedicated his work to advancing tools like the Blinq vision scanner that can spot amblyopia and strabismus early. His words to her confirmed what she already believes, that if more children could simply make it into the right physician’s chair at the right time, so many could be helped.
The discussion with KTG also became a collaboration of ideas, from creating early vision detection programs and training materials to developing partnerships that will extend beyond Florida and the Virgin Islands. Angel is committed to expanding her work and sharing these approaches and tools with other service providers so no baby or young child is missed.
The connection with Angel Perez is a reminder of what happens when passion and expertise meet purpose. She carries a deep empathy for every child who might otherwise be overlooked and channels it into practical action. Through this new potential collaboration with KTG there is hope for reaching even more families, finding more children early, and opening doors to the care they deserve.
The Florida and Virgin Islands DeafBlind Collaborative provides support, resources, and training to families and professionals serving children and young adults with combined vision and hearing loss. In exploring ways of working beside FAVI, KTG hopes to provide additional education and information that will serve many more children in time.
