Breaking Barriers: Expanding Vision Services for Oklahoma’s Hispanic Communities
Thanks to reporting from The Big Data Project, we know that Hispanic communities across Oklahoma experience vision loss at higher rates than other demographics. These communities also face historical barriers to healthcare access due to factors like language differences and income disparities. While we’ve known anecdotally for years that resources were limited in these communities, data has now made this disparity impossible to ignore.
With support from a City of Tulsa ARPA grant, NewView Oklahoma was able to develop a sustainable strategy to better reach and serve Hispanic and Latino communities. From the start, our goal was to create a plan that would outlast the funding—ensuring long-term, meaningful impact.
Removing Language Barriers
A key part of this strategy was hiring bilingual clinic staff. By removing language barriers within our clinics and providing translation services, we ensured that clients no longer had to rely on bilingual friends or family members to access care. This step made our services more accessible and welcoming, allowing patients to focus on their health without added stress.
Making Information Accessible
We also recognized that accessibility starts long before a client enters our doors. In many cases, it’s caretakers—whether they’re children, spouses, or close friends—who are arranging care for individuals who are blind or have low vision. To make sure our resources reached the right people, we partnered with Tango PR to translate key clinic documents and referral pages on our website into Spanish. This step ensured that Spanish-speaking Oklahomans could learn about NewView’s services before stepping into our clinic, making the entire experience more seamless.
Building Trust Through Community Engagement
With a strong foundation in place, we turned our focus to community outreach. Together with Tango PR, we attended Hispanic-focused health fairs, cultural events like Día De Los Muertos celebrations, and other gatherings where we could make a meaningful connection. These one-on-one interactions were instrumental in building trust and awareness within the community, helping us to foster relationships that go beyond traditional healthcare.
Amplifying Our Message Through Advertising
As a non-profit, much of our messaging has traditionally been shared organically—through social media, in-person events, and word of mouth. However, the ARPA grant gave us a rare opportunity to invest in targeted advertising. We launched a campaign that included billboards and digital ads, specifically targeting Spanish-speaking Tulsans. Running billboards in both English and Spanish helped us expand our reach across the Tulsa metro area in ways we’d never done before, increasing visibility and reinforcing our commitment to serving all communities.
Looking Ahead
The City of Tulsa ARPA grant was instrumental in helping NewView remove barriers to care and expand our reach into communities we hadn’t effectively engaged with before. While we recognize that there’s still work to be done to better serve communities of color, we are proud of the first steps we’ve taken and remain committed to continuous improvement.
At NewView Oklahoma, we know we might not get everything right the first time—but we are deeply dedicated to providing specialized vision services to all Oklahomans. As we look toward 2025, one of our top priorities is to expand our outreach efforts into the communities that are most impacted by vision loss. Together, with your continued support, we will continue to break down barriers and ensure that no Oklahoman faces vision loss alone.
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Our services are made possible by a generous community of donors. If you feel compelled to give to help more people like Catherine, we would be so grateful.
are you in need of services?
If you, or someone you love, is in need of low vision services – NewView Oklahoma is here to help. Please complete the self-referral form below and our team will reach out.
