Prevent Blindness kicks off World Sight Day activities with congressional briefing on Capitol Hill, partnerships and vision screening events nationwide

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Prevent Blindness is teaming up with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and member organizations worldwide in support of World Sight Day.

The theme of this year’s World Sight Day is “Love Your Eyes,” and will focus on the needs of children’s vision and eye health.

“World Sight Day provides a great opportunity to align with our partners all across the globe to collectively elevate discussions and bring awareness to the importance of healthy vision and the need for access to eye care for all, especially for our children,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “We encourage parents, professionals, lawmakers and all concerned citizens to join us for World Sight Day and make a positive difference in the lives of others through healthy eyesight.”

Prevent Blindness is planning a series of events and program partnerships leading up to World Sight Day on Oct. 10, 2024.

According to a news release, on Sept. 12, with support from the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington, Prevent Blindness will host a vision screening and education event, and a congressional briefing.¹

EDVI Act

The congressional briefing will also include information and updates on the recently introduced Early Detection of Vision Impairment for Children (EDVI) Act.

The legislation, which is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, would establish the first federal program for children’s vision, providing grants for states and communities to improve children’s vision and eye health through coordinated systems of care. The legislation is currently endorsed by more than 90 organizations.

Prevent Blindness this year will kick off a partnership with the National Association of School Nurses to offer a World Sight Day tool kit that includes stickers, bookmarks, printable handouts and more. Materials are available for a “back to school night” promotion to educate families on children’s vision issues, hold screening events, and request local and state proclamations for World Sight Day. These materials are available to the public.¹

Prevent Blindness is continuing its collaboration with the Truffles the Kitty Organization to share eye health messages over social media, encouraging patching compliance for amblyopia and general messages to keep children’s vision healthy. Truffles the Kitty stickers are available from the NASN and Prevent Blindness toolkit.²

According to the Prevent Blindness news release, Delta Gamma’s annual Do Good Week is set for October 9 to 16, covering both World Sight Day and White Cane Awareness Day. The organization will partner with Prevent Blindness to offer a range of educational resources for its members through the Prevent Blindness and Delta Gamma online portal. A toolkit available for download includes stickers, bookmarks, instructions for holding a screening event, activities, displays, and informational handouts.

Prevent Blindness and its affiliates and partners will also be hosting World Sight Day education events and free vision screenings with funding support from Amgen.

References:

1. 2024 World Sight Day Activities Focus on Children’s Vision - Prevent Blindness. Prevent Blindness. Published September 3, 2024. Accessed September 4, 2024. https://preventblindness.org/2024-world-sight-day/

2. Truffles the Kitty Organization. Trufflesthekitty.org. Published 2021. Accessed September 4, 2024. https://www.trufflesthekitty.org