Adults ages 19 to 64 in the United States should be screened for anxiety disorders, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released Tuesday.

The final recommendation, published in the medical journal JAMA, marks the first time the USPSTF has made a final recommendation on screening for anxiety disorders in adults, including those who are pregnant and postpartum. The task force found “insufficient evidence” to screen for anxiety in older adults.

The USPSTF, a group of independent medical experts whose recommendations help guide doctors’ decisions and influence insurance plans, also continues to recommend that all adults be screened for major depressive disorder, including those who are pregnant or postpartum and older adults.

The recommendation is consistent with the task force’s 2016 recommendation on depression screenings.

While rates of clinical depression had been rising steadily in the United States, they jumped significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. In general, about 1 in 6 adults will have depression at some time in their life, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And although depression and anxiety are different conditions, they commonly can happen together – and such screening recommendations can help clinicians identify which patients may need treatment for both conditions or one versus the other.

“Anxiety disorders are common, and they can really impact people’s quality of life, and what the task force found is that screening for anxiety disorders in the general adult population can lead to identifying these conditions early and then, if those people who are identified get linked up with appropriate care, they will benefit,” said Dr. Michael Silverstein, vice chair of the USPSTF and director of the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at Brown University.

“So it really is extremely good news for the delivery of preventive services for the American public,” he said. “We also found that in the older adult population, which is defined as age 65 and older, that the task force really needs more evidence to weigh the risks and benefits of screening for anxiety disorders. And for that older adult population, we’re calling for urgent new research.”

‘We have not been treating mental health at the same level as physical health’

USPSTF researchers noted in their anxiety screening recommendation statement that most people with anxiety disorders don’t receive treatment within the first year of symptoms, if ever – showing a need for more robust screening.

“Only 11% of U.S. adults with an anxiety disorder started treatment within the first year of onset; the median time to treatment initiation was 23 years,” the researchers wrote. “A U.S. study of 965 primary care patients found that only 41% of patients with an anxiety disorder were receiving treatment for their disorder.”

Once the new screening recommendations are practiced in the real world, the results may reveal that anxiety disorders are much more prevalent than previously thought, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, who was not involved in the recommendation statements.

“Anxiety has been way under the radar for a long time, and so I think it’s good that they are recommending for the broad population to be screened. When we start screening for anxiety, we’re going to find a lot more of it than we thought we had,” he said, adding that the nation should also prepare to make mental health services and treatments more easily accessible amid the ongoing mental health crisis.

“I think it’s an opportunity for us to get our hands around this crisis before we have a mental health emergency,” Benjamin said. “So we definitely have to do more. We know as a nation, we have under-invested in mental health. We have not put as much money into mental health. We have not been treating mental health at the same level as physical health. And we know that people who need mental health services are really struggling to find providers to care for them.”

What screening looks like

Medical professionals can screen for anxiety disorders using questionnaires and scales, such as asking about feeling on edge, not being able to stop or control worrying or having trouble relaxing, for example.

Some questions used to screen for depression include asking about feeling hopeless, having trouble concentrating, losing interest in daily activities or thoughts about hurting yourself. Major depressive disorder is defined as at least two weeks of mild to severe persistent feelings of sadness or lack of interest in everyday activities, according to the USPSTF.

Any positive screening result should be confirmed with a diagnostic assessment to determine the severity of symptoms and identify any other psychological concerns, and then patients should be given care. Potential harms of screening include the risk of a false positive, leading to unnecessary appointments or unnecessary treatment, according to the USPSTF, but for most adults, screening and follow-up care can reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression.

Effective treatments for anxiety disorders can include talking with a therapist, known as psychotherapy, or medications such as antidepressants or beta blockers, as well as relaxation or stress management therapies. Treatments for depression also can include antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, alone or in combination.

If left untreated, major depressive disorder “can interfere with daily functioning and can be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, exacerbation of comorbid conditions, or increased mortality,” according to the USPSTF recommendation. Only about half of people with major depression are identified.

A call for more research on suicide risks

Research suggests that anxiety disorders and depression may be associated with suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and other types of suicidal behaviors.

But the new USPSTF recommendations state that there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against screening specifically for suicide risk in adults who are not showing signs or symptoms, which is consistent with the task force’s 2014 recommendation on the issue.

“So if someone goes to the doctor or their primary care provider and expresses the idea of self-harm or wanting to hurt themselves or wanting to die by suicide, by all means, that provider needs to do everything they possibly can to help the patient in front of them,” Silverstein said.

“As a task force, we are not reviewing the evidence for that population,” he said. “We’re reviewing the evidence for people who come to their primary care provider without any signs or symptoms and having either the primary care provider or someone in the primary care provider’s office ask them a series of screening questions to assess their risk for suicide.”

In the new recommendations, the USPSTF calls for more research on suicide risks among people who are not showing signs or symptoms.

“Someone experiencing death by suicide is a tragedy,” Silverstein said. “Because the suicide rate in this country has been increasing, there are so many people who have experienced a loved one having died by suicide. So this recommendation is really important, and that importance to me underlines that the American public deserves the highest quality evidence around screening for this really, really serious condition, which is suicide risk.”

Mental health experts and advocates emphasize the importance of suicide risk assessments among adults diagnosed with anxiety and major depressive disorder.

“Although not called out in the USPSTF Recommendation Statement, a positive screen result for anxiety should be immediately followed with clinical evaluation for suicidality,” Dr. Murray Stein and Dr. Linda Hill, both of the University of California, San Diego, wrote in an editorial that accompanied the new recommendations in JAMA.

“The uptake of these new anxiety screening recommendations should provide an impetus and an opportunity for primary care clinicians to become more comfortable with diagnosing and treating anxiety disorders, which may require additional training,” they wrote. “Anxiety disorders can be distressing and disabling, and appropriate recognition and treatment can be life-altering and, in some cases, lifesaving, for patients.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s 988 hotline, intended to help anyone experiencing a mental health emergency, was back up and running Friday after a daylong outage.

The call service, which was launched in July, was restored shortly before midnight on Thursday. People experiencing a mental health crisis were still able to reach a mental health counselor by texting 988 or by visiting 988lifeline.org to start a chat.

The federal government is investigating the hotline's outage, Health and Human Services spokeswoman Sarah Lovenheim said in a tweet late Thursday night.

“While HHS and VA immediately acted to provide support to 988 callers via text, chat, and alternate numbers, the disruption of phone service was unacceptable, and HHS continues to investigate the root cause of the outage,” she tweeted, referencing the acronym for Veterans Affairs.

The 988 hotline is a national helpline staffed with mental health counselors around the country that’s designed to be as easy to remember as the emergency line, 911. Since its launch, the hotline has fielded roughly 8,000 phone calls a day from those seeking mental health help.

The telecommunications company Intrado, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest U.S. provider of e911 services and provides the backend plumbing for emergency communication services like the 988 helpline. The company did not return repeated requests for comment.

In a statement on Intrado's website on Thursday, the company said it was “working as quickly as possible to resume full service.” The outage also impacted the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Distress Helpline.

Telecoms analyst Roger Entner, of Recon Analytics, said he didn't think there was "anything malicious” in the outage.

“Stuff like this almost always happens when an upgrade goes wrong,” Entner said. Normally, these outages occur when “they try to improve or fix something small and they break something big. That’s the most likely answer here.”

Red light therapy has been rising in popularity, but with a lot of posts about it on social media, it's hard to know if what's being promised is backed by science. Physician and board-certified anesthesiologist Dr. Azza Halim, who works at the Sanctuary Medical Center, says red light therapy isn't new.

"Because of social media, TikTok, more people are trying it, getting on that bandwagon," Dr. Halim said.

An article published on NASA explains research funded by NASA used red light therapy to grow plants in space in the mid-1990s. Pretty soon, NASA scientists working under the lights discovered that abrasions on their hands were healing faster than normal. Dr. Rich Joseph is a chief medical officer for Restore Hyper Wellness, which offers red light therapy at more than 125 locations nationwide.

"Red light, in particular, we're learning, might have more advantageous properties for healing because of its ability to penetrate the skin because of its longer wavelengths," Dr. Joseph said.

Both he and Dr. Halim say there are a few medical studies regarding red light therapy.

One study suggests an increase in collagen density. Collagen provides structure and strength to your skin, muscles, bones and connective tissues. Another study suggests there are potential psychological benefits for people facing depression and anxiety.

However, Dr. Joseph cautions someone facing mental health issues should also seek out treatment from mainstream medicine like the use of anti-depressants. Dr. Halim says red light therapy should always be considered as an addition to your wellness practice.

"It needs to be used in conjunction with other therapies because there's been controversy with people trying to upsell red light therapy," Dr. Halim said.

Dr. Joseph says more clinical trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness as a treatment. What he can confirm is that red light therapy is safe because it won't cause skin damage like UV rays from the sun. Before you decide to spend your money on this growing trend, Dr. Halim suggests you talk with your physician to see what makes the most sense for you.

 

When you think of therapy animals, you probably don't think of Great Danes, which are bigger than some horses.

But they are a big hit at a Minnesota hospital. Pun intended.

“If a nurse isn't aware of us coming in, doesn't know that the dogs are that big, they've been scared, Wayne Chmelik.

Chmelik brings Hulu and Tootsie, his two Great Danes, they have to avoid narrow spaces.

But despite their size, the dogs are about as friendly as they come.

“They are [friendly]. Unless you were a squirrel. Yes, they are just the most gentle animals that I’ve ever raised,” Chmelik said.

Hulu weighs 170 pounds and Tootsie weighs 166, both towering over the miniature horses in the local therapy animal association.

A while back, Hulu made friends with 3-year-old Nellie Koubsky, who briefly stayed in the hospital for appendicitis.

"Why did you come to the hospital, do you remember?” Rachel Koubsky, Nellie’s mom, asked her daughter.

“Because my tummy hurt,” Nellie said.

But just before the surgery, the biggest and friendliest dog Nellie had ever seen paid her a visit.

“Did he help you feel better?” Rachel Koubsky asked.

“Yeah,” Nellie responded.

“For a little bit?”

“Yeah, he was just cheering me up.”

Watch the video above for more about Hulu and Tootsie’s impact.

RENO, Nev. (Video: KOLO via CNN) —

If you're traveling over the holidays, you know it's a stressful experience. From crowds to screenings, traffic and worries about boarding on time, an airport in Reno, Nevada, is hoping to soothe passengers.

A volunteer organization called Paws 4 Passengers brings certified therapy dogs into terminals to encourage smiles and change the overall mood.

"It's always stressful traveling. so seeing dogs here makes everybody feel good," Sheri Heimerdinger told KOLO as she waited to pick up her mother at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Sheri Harwell of Paws 4 Passengers said the dogs help calm those who might be nervous about flying.

"They just bring warmth, love and joy to all the people here," she said.

Harwell said she's also seen the dogs seek out a belly rub from people they sense may need them the most.

"If we see a child that's really crying and upset and having a fit. We'll try to go over. That's what Brooke does. She'll go over there and just sit there with that little kid and calm them down," Harwell said. "The parents are always saying thank you, thank you, thank you."

Paws 4 Passengers was founded in 2013 and currently has a team of 30 therapy dogs.

And it's not just weary passengers who enjoy their visits with the dogs.

"When those vests go on, that's their job and they know it and they love coming here and just greeting people," Harwell said. "That's their job, that's what they love to do."

Watch the video above to see the Paws 4 Passengers team in action.

The 2008 recession proved devastating not only to the economy but American lives after suicide numbers spiked in its wake. And for veterans at a high risk of unemployment and mental illness, experts say greater efforts are needed to support the population.

A nonprofit in San Diego is using a unique form of therapy to help veterans and their caregivers during this time.

"All I have to do is relax. Being able to get out of my head and literally not have to do anything for an hour, it's amazing," said Candra Murphy, an Air Force veteran.

In a pool heated to match the human temperature, veterans are transported to a state of calm.

"It's often equated to if you were to go all the way back to being the womb, and that safety and serenity of being in the watery environment," said Elizabeth Berg, executive director of Wave Academy.

But like many veterans sent to the aquatic therapy program, Murphy had her reservations.

"The first session, I was tense pretty much all the way through," remembered Murphy.

Murphy served for six years and deployed once to Balad, Iraq. She says the base was a constant target for mortar attacks, and the most difficult part of the deployment was not knowing what was going to happen next.

When she reintegrated back into civilian life, everyday tasks like driving, were a challenge.

"It just depends on the day. More often than not, my symptoms tend to show up as anxiety, hyper-vigilance, general distrust of crowds. I tend to self-isolate a lot," said Murphy.

Through counseling, Murphy learned she had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She began sessions at Wave Academy before COVID-19, but like many services, it was put on hold.

Murphy says she's been managing the pandemic well, but it was challenging not having access to the therapies which help with her PTSD.

"For the first time ever, we have a wait list of people who would like to have our therapy program," said Berg.

Wave Academy serves veterans, active duty service members, and caregivers. Through donors and granters, they're able to provide eight sessions at no cost for people with low to moderate-income.

"It's great for physical therapy as well, the warm water and the light massaging and maybe twist or stretches is absolutely helpful for the physical body. But I think the piece that makes it so effective when we're working with veterans who have post-traumatic stress, you know we're working with that trauma of the mind, is that this particular therapy transcends from body to mind," said Berg.

Clinical psychologist Mark Jesinoski works with combat veterans, many who were already dealing with heightened physical and emotional pain before the pandemic.

"I'm hearing from a lot of veterans that they're feeling more isolated, they're feeling less supported. Exactly what they need they're not getting right now," said Dr. Jesinoski.

He says he's alarmed by what he sees in his practice, for both civilians and veterans.

"When I look back at my veteran community that I get to work with every day and feel their pulse, what I notice is every single thing they experience as normal people is completely and totally magnified by what's happening in our society today," said Dr. Jesinoski.

A report from the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute indicated that for every 5 percent increase in the national unemployment rate, as many as 550 veterans a year could be lost to suicide, and 20,000 more could suffer from substance abuse disorders.

But instead of focusing on predictions, Dr. Jesinoski says society should seek proactive solutions.

"I don't think it's a matter of putting more money into it, I think it's about being much smarter and much wiser in how we allocate that money in being a much more interconnected system of services," said Dr. Jesinoski.

Between the government and community nonprofits like Wave Academy.

"What I would say to a veteran if they are struggling is don't do that pride thing, don't do that isolation thing, don't do the 'I ain't got time to bleed thing'. Be willing to take a breath and to overcome that resistance to asking for help," said Jesinoski.

After being inspired by his journey of working and healing with veterans, Dr. Jesinosky started a podcast to help support the population.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline anytime at 1-800–273-8255.

Editor's note: Psychologist John Duffy, author of "Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety," practices in Chicago. He specializes in work with teens, parents, couples and families.

On this World Mental Health Day, the second of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that people -- most people -- are struggling.

Across cultures, we were experiencing plenty of mental health issues well before the pandemic, including -- but not limited to -- undue stress and anxiety, poor self-esteem, eating issues, and family strife. All of these challenges have been exacerbated over the course of the past 18 months.

I encourage you to take honest stock of your own emotional well-being today. Are you taking care of yourself? Are you suffering unnecessarily? Are you priding yourself on being busy, when you are in fact exhausted? Are you hiding depression or anxiety to protect the people around you?

The following are six steps you can take today to enhance your mental wellness, and that of those around you.

Begin a daily wellness regimen

Taking care of yourself emotionally starts first thing in the day -- preferably before your feet hit the floor. In lieu of checking social media or starting work, draw in a few deep breaths, and consider three things you find yourself grateful for. These can be grand, like your spouse, job or health, or modest, like the weather, the view from your window, or even the luxury of those first breaths.

Then, if you haven't already, try a brief guided mediation like one of these CNN picks or the Calm or Headspace app. Read a comforting excerpt from a favorite self-help or other relaxing book. By doing so, you will create a calm, relaxed mindset for the day. Even stressful days packed with activity will feel more manageable and tranquil if you do so, and you will find yourself catastrophizing far less over the course of the day.

Remember, a lot of the things that enhance physical health also support emotional well-being. Evaluate what you put in your body and your mind: food, drink, drugs, a constant stream of video programming, and so on. Thinking about how you might manage your intake to make your body healthier will undoubtedly have mental health benefits as well.

I cannot express enough how these early-in-the-day actions can impact your mindset of peace, well-being and gratitude for the rest of your day.

Starter tip: Don't think you'll remember first thing in the morning? Write it on a sticky note, and place it over your phone before you go to bed.

Get outside your own mind every day

When we are anxious or depressed, our symptoms tend to occupy our minds. We scan for severity or for new mental difficulties, and the more we scan, the more we tend to find. Further, our depression, anxieties and other emotional concerns tend to amplify when they remain our sole focus. If we get out and attend to serving others, we find that our own worries diminish.

We also feel better when we serve others, coming away with a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and contribution -- a win-win for mental health. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or your child's school. Work a phone helpline for others struggling with emotional difficulties.

Remove the unnecessary

Over the past couple of years, there has been no doubt that we are too busy and protect precious little time to relax and do virtually nothing. Today presents a wonderful opportunity to consider what we can take away from our daily lives that might enhance our peace of mind and support our emotional wellness.

This is a day to remove the misguided pride in the word "busy," and focus not on all we can do, but on what really needs to be done -- and what does not. In fact, the pandemic has presented a unique opportunity to do so. Many of my clients have found, in their new work-from-home worlds, that in past years, much of their time has been spent on unnecessary activity, from busy work to social media scrolling.

Others find these activities prevent them from getting a full night's sleep or connecting with family, which are crucial elements of emotional wellness. Removing some of this activity can help us protect time for some of these other endeavors that foster well-being and growth.

Assess your relationships

Assess how each of your relationships is working for you. Are you giving more than you're receiving from a sibling or friend? Do you feel hopeful and refueled after a coffee date with an acquaintance? Many of us spend far too much time and energy on relationships that are either toxic or one-sided, and that can include social media connections.

You may also recognize that you do not reach out and connect enough to others. Slowing down to connect more deeply and share your life and story with your close family or friends is among the most important ways you can strengthen your mental wellness.

Check-in with your people

World Mental Health Day can be a welcome excuse to reset for improved self-care. But it also presents an opportunity to check in on the mental health of the people around you: your family, friends, neighbors and anyone else in your orbit. Some people you feel you are very close to maybe suffering but are adept at hiding it.

Check-in with all the people you love, and just ask them how they are doing and feeling. For some, this may prompt them to assess their own mental well-being, knowing there is someone in their life who cares enough to ask.

Be willing to change and learn

Many of my clients have stubbornly asserted that they know what's best for themselves, and too often continue bad habits even as they come to me for help.

Treat yourself to an hour a week of self-focus and self-care, whether it's through therapy or other practices. You will learn a lot about how your mind works, and how to remove roadblocks to wellness you may have been clinging to for years.

In doing so, you are not only tending to your own emotional well-being but normalizing mental difficulties so that others may be more inclined to do the same. I cannot think of a more impactful way to contribute to our world's collective wellness on a day dedicated to mental health.

Firefighter Richard Jett happened to be working at a different fire station and ended up meeting two girls on a welfare check at a storage unit.Jett, a man of faith, knew God was trying to tell him something.At the time in October 2017, the girls were just 2 years and 4 days old.He ended up adopting them, joining his family of two other adopted children.His colleagues recently honored him in a surprise ceremony and given a surf trip by a charity in the area, S.W.E.L. (Surf Waves Enjoy Life), that takes veterans and first responders surfing.For more information on S.W.E.L, click here.

This Valentine's Day, therapists are issuing a warning: watch your money and your accounts.

Wendy Barlin, a CPA and Chief Strategist for "About Profit," says looks can be deceiving.

"People assume that it's easy for me," Barlin said. "That's because I have a CPA license, so I must know how to manage my money."

Now, at the height of her professional career, Barlin admits it was a rocky road to get to where she now sits.

That road seemed perfect more than 14 years ago when she was happily married. But her then-husband was hiding something.

"Just one more night at the tables, just one more night," Barlin said. "There I am, CPA, a partner in a firm in Los Angeles driving to the casinos at night to drag him out. And I didn't even know the amount he had amassed to follow this winning dream."

That debt, she would later learn, amassed to some $55,000.

"Ultimately, I was responsible for those, and I paid off every single dollar myself."

She's since moved on, remarried, had two kids, and now she helps people make smart money choices, which often ties into smart relationship choices.

"That's where the therapist comes in because I don't always think it's a call for divorce; maybe there is a way out," Barlin said.

Dr. Richelle Moen is a psychologist, a marriage and family therapist, and professor at The University of Minnesota Medical School.

"If you're the first to admit the problem, it makes it a whole lot quicker and deeper in terms of you coming forward and recognizing and stating that you have a problem," Dr. Moen said. "The hope is, and I'm a marriage and family therapist, that we can find a way to repair, but both have to be incredibly motivated to work on this relationship and the commitment to the relationship."

Dr. Moen has seen it all in her 30 years of counseling.

People were hiding purchases, addictions, even child support payments.

"Oftentimes, people wait until they're married to discuss budgets and what's important to you, and so what happens they get into a relationship long term or a marriage and try to figure it out and say whoa that isn't what I was expecting."

She recommends doing the bills and finances together. And while you can't change others, you can change yourself. After all, Wendy Barlin did.

"I still struggle with a lot of these choices every single day, but I have the tools now to help my family and me to manage our money smarter and be more open and honest with each other, so there are no surprises," Barlin said.

Her top piece of advice now? Have three accounts with your partner. A "yours", "mine," and "ours" and bring all the secrets to the table.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Donuts have a way of pleasing the senses. Chocolate, blueberry, glazed – you can almost taste them just by looking at them. What if you couldn't see the wide selection?

Cheri McDaniel, who started Ms. Cheri's Donuts in 2009, has been losing her eyesight more and more every year.

"People's faces from across the room, if I don't know who you are, I can't see your face," McDaniel said.

She’s one of 11 million Americans slowly losing her eyesight due to macular degeneration.

“Macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual loss among American senior citizens. It affects one out of every three American senior citizens so it’s a pretty big deal,” said Dr. Chris Riemann, a retinal surgeon at Cincinnati Eye Institute.

Dr. Riemann says macular degeneration withers away at the back of the eye. McDaniel has been seeing him since she was diagnosed with the disease in her 40s.

“The UV rays can destroy your eyes and smoking," McDaniel said. "I did smoke I quit like 20 years ago because I still remember Dr. Riemann saying the very first time I went to him that ’if you don’t quit smoking while you’re dying of your lung cancer, you will be blind’. And I was like ‘oh, thank you!’”

McDaniel says her vision loss has gotten far worse in the last five years.

“I can’t tell you the last time I read a book, because I can’t see it, even with my glasses and a magnifying glass.”

McDaniel says she thought she would eventually lose vision completely, especially because her form of the disease – the most common form in the U.S. – has no approved treatment options. Then Dr. Riemann told her about a clinical trial for a cell transplant therapy called OpRegen.

“It is a cell line that we actually inject under the retina of patients with the geographic atrophy to try to replace the cells that are atrophying away,” Dr. Riemann said. “They are ethically sourced human embryonic stem cells that come from discarded in vitro fertilization embryos.”

McDaniel says she was told she would be the 26^th person in the world to be a part of the early-phase FDA trial.

She found it nerve-wracking, but says she mostly felt honored to be a part of the new therapy.

“If it’s a chance to see or be blind, you’re kind of up against a wall," McDaniel said. "You jump at that chance – yes, I will do this.”

Three months ago, Dr. Riemann performed the surgery on McDaniel. Now, she says she can pay her bills again without a magnifying glass.

“I was so excited; I mean I was so excited. Just for that little thing – 'Oh my gosh, I can see these numbers.'”

Not only did the cell transplant therapy stop the deterioration of her vision. Her eyesight has actually improved.

Dr. Riemann says there are still many steps left before the therapy gets FDA approval. However, he and McDaniel are holding onto hope.

“There are exciting things that don’t always pan out," Dr. Riemann said. "But I’m hoping this one will.”

“It’s just an amazing opportunity for anyone who can’t see well to get fixed,” McDaniel said.