OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation is at the forefront of addressing the eyecare needs of those who either can’t afford it or don’t have access to it.
Much of that work takes place in third world counties, as the foundation works to uphold its mission to help individuals across the globe “see more and be more.” More than 2.7 billion in the world deal with uncorrected poor vision.
However, there are plenty of opportunities for eyecare outreach in the U.S.
Recently, the North American branch of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation teamed up with LensCrafters to co-host a five-day charitable clinic in Atlanta.
The event featured free vision screenings, eye exams and glasses. More than 600 children and adults took part. Out of the patients seen, 95% of them were in need of glasses. A majority of the participants were provided with their newly prescribed eyewear on-site the same day they were examined.
The event took place Oct. 22-28 at Atlanta-based nonprofit Frontline Response. You can see more pictures from the event below.
A Catchy Tune, an Important Message
Dr. Daniel Laroche is on a mission to combat blindness by increasing glaucoma and cataract awareness.
However, as the Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York, he wasn’t satisfied with standard outreach approaches.
So, he turned to ears to save eyes.
Dr. Laroche wrote a song called Eye Pressure. The track features the voices of two of his patients. He produced versions in English and Creole. The catchy tune has a good beat and features eyecare related terminology and themes.
“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses,” says Dr. LaRoche, who also is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. “As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts.”
Have a listen to Dr. Laroche’s song:
English version
Creole version
Eyes in the News
The New York Times posted a lovely feature on Oct. 27 about a mother-and-son duo who craft specialty eyewear at a London shop that was established in 1875. — “Would You Like Eyeglass Frames of Fossilized Coral?‘ (Subscription required)
The Atlantic ran an excellent story in September on the rise in cases of myopia. From the article: “The proportion of teenagers and young adults with myopia has jumped from roughly a quarter to more than 80 percent in just over half a century.” — “The Myopbia Generation: Why do so many kids need glasses now?”
Then there’s this interesting ditty from a couple of weeks ago from our friends across the pond at The BBC. We suspect our ECP readers already know this stuff. But it could be a fun one to share with your patients and/or customers! — “How our eyes can change color throughout our lives.”
PHOTO GALLERY (7 IMAGES)
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