October the 13th was World Sight Day (WSD) and a number of events and activities marked the occasion. WSD is a day of awareness that’s held annually on the second Thursday of October and it’s intended to draw attention to blindness and vision impairment across the globe. 2016 was the fourth year that WSD was celebrated and along with creating awareness, a large sum of money was raised to aid the cause.
New Documentary Released
A documentary entitled Sight: The Story of Vision was released to coincide with World Sight Day. Narrated by Elton John, this documentary focused on medical, scientific and technological aspects of human vision. The film tells the story of how people first discovered how eyes work, how to improve sight using glasses and contact lenses, and even how to restore it when it is lost.
In an effort to connect with viewers who suffer from poor eye health, have eye issues and who may need corrective eyewear, writer and director Kris Koenig applied colour correction to the movie so that those with red-green colour confusion could better distinguish colours. Koenig made this decision after trying pair of glasses that are custom tinted to help with various types of colour blindness.
The one-hour film was broadcast on TV and is also available online, in the form of an app and as a companion website.
Competition To Raise Awareness
With 80% of visual impairment avoidable and readily treatable, raising awareness for WSD is an important factor. IAPB coordinates WSD and this year they held a photo competition to highlight the impact of eye health. The theme of the competition was #StrongerTogether and invited amateurs and professionals to submit their photos using the hashtag.
The winners were announced at an event sponsored by Beyer and included photos of under privileged children having their eyes tested in extreme poor conditions and children wearing glasses and learning everyday objects for the first time, highlighting the importance of accessibility to eye care in every sector.
Fundraising Initiative
WSD is a great way to raise funds and the Optometry of Giving Sight stepped in to help raise funds for projects that aid in training, delivering eye care services and establishing vision centres. A simple eye test and access to glasses can change a child or an adult’s life, and the funds raised by WSD go along way to ensuring this.
The World Sight Day Challenge saw orange wristbands go on sale and the proceeds from these were donated to the cause. Buying a wristband showed a patrons support for the cause and there was also the opportunity to make a larger donation if desired.
This, and other fund raising initiatives aid those who need eye care assistance in every part of the world and with WSD attention is drawn to those in need.
At EyeQ we play our own role in promoting good eye health and in assisting those who are less fortunate. Our involvement in the OneSight initiative and the #UNBLUR Life campaign are just some of the ways we help people see clearly and enjoy a better quality of life
