Bill moved to El Paso in 2014 after his son and daughter-in-law moved the operations of his business, Mattingly Low Vision, to Texas in 2013. He passed away soon after the move but his legacy lives on in the Sun City with the business employing El Pasoans and continuing to grow each year.

There is a shortage of Low Vision Optometrists nationwide, and this scholarship helps keep Bill’s legacy alive by supporting those drawn to this niche profession. Low Vision optometrists partner with social workers, occupational therapists, and Certified Low Vision Therapists to coach and support patients learning to adapt to vision loss. This team approach allows visually impaired persons to leverage what is left of their remaining vision and remain engaged in daily living activities.

Recipients of this scholarship are passionate and creative. They are collaborative and bring a spirit of counseling and support to their practice. They have often had a personal connection to low vision, whether through a family member or early but impactful encounter with a low vision patient during their training.

As the American population ages we will need more Low Vision Optometrists. Only 3% of seniors get connected to low vision services currently, and we are proud to do a small part in helping increase and expand the awareness of this field through this scholarship. We would love to award this scholarship to an El Pasoan pursuing the study of low vision in the future. If we grow the scholarship fund we will be able to offer more scholarships!

Thank you for your support and consideration.