■The National Optometry Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for its 2013 inductions with a deadline of Dec. 31, 2012. Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.aoa.org/HallofFame, or send an e-mail request to Found ation@aoa.org with “2013 Nomination Form” in the subject line. Inductees will be honored at Optometry’s Meeting in June 2013 in San Diego, Calif.

■The American Optometric Association (AOA) is using November’s American Diabetes Month as a platform to raise awareness of potential eye and vision disorders that could lead to blindness for Americans with diabetes. The AOA is encouraging these individuals to schedule annual dilated eye examinations, depending on their particular examination findings and their optometrist’s recommendations.

■ Alden Optical, Inc., manufacturer of custom and specialty soft and GP contact lenses, announced EZ-Exchange, a new policy regarding lens. EZ-Exchange allows practitioners to make lens adjustments without the need to return the original lens.

■ The Vision Council was selected as a winner in the 19th annual National Health Information Awards, which honors consumer health information programs and materials. The Kids Ultraviolet (UV) Brochure with Stickers received a Silver Award for Booklet/Brochure/Pamphlet, and the 2011/2012 Readers Campaign (video series) was awarded a Bronze Award for Total Health Information Program.

■ Iridex Corporation launched an updated, ophthalmic-focused corporate website (www.iridex.com). The newly designed site features a physician education section, which includes treatment solutions, clinical discussions and videotaped sessions.

■ The 2012 Eye Ball Gala at T. Pepin’s Hospitality Centre in Tampa Bay, Fla., raised approximately $125,000 for The Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery, evaluation and distribution of eye tissue for transplantation, research and education.

■ The American Optometric Association (AOA) and the Opticians Association of America (OAA) launched Present, the final of three free COPE-accredited continuing education modules in support of the SUN Initiative for optometrists on EyeLearn. The Present module teaches the language and methods to visually merchandise the importance of outdoor eyewear to patients.

■ Eyefinity and Total Merchant Services announced a partnership to enable eyecare providers to accept mobile, credit card, debit, gift cards, checks and other forms of electronic payments from their customers.