Prevent Blindness announced a series of events and initiatives leading up to World Sight Day on Oct. 9, aligning with the organization that leads the global observance, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
This year’s theme, “Love Your Eyes,” will be reflected in educational activities, community vision screenings, and advocacy efforts organized with affiliates and national partners.
Programming scheduled for World Sight Day includes the following:
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A free national webinar on thyroid eye disease, co-hosted with the Vision Health Advocacy Coalition, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Attendees can register here.
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A vision screening and eye health education event at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington D.C., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Interested attendees can RSVP here.
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A Congressional Briefing on children’s vision and eye health, including updates on the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act, from noon to 1 p.m. ET, led by Congressional Vision Caucus co-chairs Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Marc A. Veasey and co-sponsored by Reps. Janelle S. Bynum, Andrew Garbarino, Melanie A. Stansbury, and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. Interested attendees can RSVP here.
The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness is once again collaborating with the National Association of School Nurses to distribute a free World Sight Day toolkit. The materials include bookmarks, stickers, and coloring pages, along with “Truffles the Kitty” educational resources.
“Every year, Prevent Blindness joins with the worldwide vision and eye health community to celebrate World Sight Day, a global event aimed at addressing the importance of healthy eyesight and the crucial need for equitable access to eye care,” says Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Collectively, our efforts help ensure that people everywhere can enjoy the precious gift of sight.”
“World Sight Day continues to grow in importance and effectiveness by bringing together leaders in vision and eye health,” says Peter Holland, CEO of IAPB. “It’s through the activation and reach of our growing members around the world, including Prevent Blindness in the U.S., that we are able to have such a strong impact through this campaign.”