The Visual Snow Initiative (VSI) is proud to announce that we have received three 2026 Communicator Awards of Distinction for our work advancing global awareness, education, and understanding of Visual Snow Syndrome.
The Communicator Awards recognize excellence, effectiveness, and innovation across all areas of communication, marketing, and creative work
Now in its 32nd year, the platform honors companies, agencies, organizations, and independent creators from around the world. This year, the 32nd Annual Communicator Awards received more than 3,000 entries from advertising agencies, global brands, production studios, public relations firms, and individual creators.
The awards are reviewed by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only body of more than 1,100 industry leaders from leading brands, agencies, and institutions. Entries are evaluated on merit against a standard of excellence within each category. Award of Distinction winners generally receive scores between 7 and 8.9 on a 10-point scale.
For VSI, this recognition is especially meaningful because communication is central to our mission. Visual Snow Syndrome is a complex neurological condition that is still misunderstood by many people, including within parts of the medical community. Our work is focused on making accurate, accessible, and evidence-based information available to patients, families, healthcare professionals, researchers, and the general public.
This year, VSI was recognized across three award-winning projects:
The Visual Snow Initiative Website
Award: General-Causes & Awareness, Distinction 2026
The Visual Snow Initiative website was recognized for its role as a central educational resource for Visual Snow Syndrome. The site was created to help people better understand VSS, explore symptoms, access resources, learn about the latest research, and find support through clear, organized, and patient-centered information.
Credits:
Visual Snow Initiative, CEO & Founder: Sierra Domb
Visual Snow Initiative, Director of Information Technology: Mehrad Mazaheri
Visual Snow Initiative, Director of Research: Vanessa Mora
Visual Snow Initiative: Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) Awareness & Education
Award: Campaign-Non-Profit, Distinction 2026
This campaign was recognized for its contribution to raising awareness and improving public understanding of Visual Snow Syndrome. Through educational content, digital outreach, and accessible storytelling, the campaign helped bring greater visibility to a condition that affects people worldwide but is often difficult to explain, diagnose, and validate.
Credits:
Visual Snow Initiative, CEO & Founder: Sierra Domb
Visual Snow Initiative, Director of Information Technology: Mehrad Mazaheri
Visual Snow Initiative, Director of Research: Vanessa Mora
Visual Snow Initiative, Director of Video Production: Marton Varo
What is Visual Snow Syndrome?
Award: General-Causes & Awareness, Distinction 2026
The educational piece “What is Visual Snow Syndrome?” was recognized for helping explain VSS in a clear and engaging way. For many people, the first step toward understanding Visual Snow Syndrome is having language for what they are experiencing. This project was designed to make that explanation more accessible, helping viewers recognize that VSS is real, neurological, and deserving of greater awareness and research.
Credits:
Visual Snow Initiative, CEO & Founder: Sierra Domb
Visual Snow Initiative, Director of Video Production: Marton Varo
Why This Recognition Matters
Visual Snow Syndrome can affect vision, sensory processing, cognition, hearing, and quality of life. Many people with VSS spend years searching for answers, often feeling dismissed, misunderstood, or isolated. That is why awareness and education are not secondary to VSI’s mission. They are essential.
Every website page, campaign, video, research resource, and educational initiative is part of a larger effort to improve recognition of VSS and support those affected by it. These three Communicator Awards recognize not only the quality of VSI’s creative and educational work, but also the importance of making complex medical and neurological information easier to access and understand.
Continuing the Mission
These awards are a testament to the ongoing work of the Visual Snow Initiative team, as well as the broader community of patients, families, clinicians, researchers, supporters, and advocates who continue to help move the mission forward.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has shared their story, supported our educational initiatives, contributed to research efforts, and helped spread awareness of Visual Snow Syndrome. Your voices are the reason this work matters.
While this recognition is an exciting milestone, our mission continues. VSI remains committed to expanding awareness, supporting education, advancing research, and working toward better outcomes for people affected by Visual Snow Syndrome.
To everyone living with VSS: you are not alone. We will continue working to make this condition better understood, better recognized, and better supported around the world.