Every year on the second Thursday in October, organizations like Future In Sight celebrate World Sight Day, but what is World Sight Day really about?
Future In Sight’s President & CEO, Randy Pierce, took some time to share his thoughts on the subject. Randy has been blind for over 23 years, so his insight comes not only as a member of the community but as the leader of an organization who serves individuals like him.
“I celebrate the attention to eye health at the center of World Sight Day because I fully understand and appreciate the benefit of what I have lost.”
World Sight Day began as part of a Sight First campaign organized by the Lions Club International Foundation in the late 80’s. In 1999 the World Health Organization (WHO) used this momentum to establish World Sight Day, which was observed officially for the first time on October 12, 2000. Each year, WHO picks a theme for World Sight Day. The 2024 theme is “Children, Love your Eyes”. According to WHO, the goal of this year’s theme is to raise specific attention to child eye health and the idea that eye health services should be accessible, available and affordable for all children (and their families).
In recognition of World Sight Day, we have compiled tips and tools from past blogs to help you and/or your loved one – child, partner, parent, etc. – protect your eyes and provide support if vision loss or blindness becomes your reality.
Tips for Protecting Your Eyes
- Consider UV filters to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays both outdoors (from the sun) and indoors (from the glare of a computer screen, TV, or even your favorite reading window). Learn more about UV filters by clicking here.
- Eat healthy and take your medications and vitamins as prescribed. Managing conditions like hypertension and high blood pressure can prevent damage to your vision. Learn more about eating healthy and medication management by clicking here.
- Get regular eye exams, regardless of your age or how well you see. Learn more about why annual eye exams are important for your child’s schooling by clicking here.
- Recognize the symptoms of low vision and seek professional support from a licensed eye doctor. Understand the specific symptoms of low vision in children by clicking here.
No matter what we do to protect our eyes, for some of us, vision loss is inevitable. That’s where resources like Future In Sight are vital. Organizations like Future In Sight connects individuals with vision loss to the training, tools and resources they need to live independently. While the tips and additional resources provided below are a great place to start, we encourage anyone experiencing vision loss to reach out to a licensed eyecare provider and a local or statewide agency like Future In Sight.
Tips and Tools for Living With Vision Loss
- Use contrasting colors within your home to help you identify things – use a red cup for milk, a white mug for coffee, a white cutting board for brightly colored vegetables.
- Add lighting, like a tabletop gooseneck lamp, to your nightstand, countertop, or desk to provide additional visibility.
- Purchase a large print calendar and utilize tools like the Reminder app on your cell phone.
- Arrange things within your home in a way that is functional and accessible. Consider using storage containers, labels – braille, tactile, or contrasting colors – and dividers to help keep things organized.
You can access Future In Sight’s full library of blog posts by clicking here. You can also use the search bar, located along the top right corner of any page on our website, to identify additional resources – webpages, blogs, etc. – using terms like ‘tips’, ‘child’, ‘vision loss’, etc.
If you are experiencing vision loss and watching and/or listening is your preferred format for digesting information, we encourage you to check out our blog on Tips & devices to maintain independence while losing one’s vision. Beth Daisy, MS OTR/L, CLVT, ATP, CAPS, Occupational Therapy Supervisor at Future In Sight, partnered with the American Macular Degeneration Foundation to produce a short video series that includes tips and devices to help individuals who are blind and visually impaired maintain their independence.
So, what is World Sight Day really about? Here at Future In Sight we believe it is about advocacy, awareness, and appreciation.
- Advocacy – bringing attention to the fact that eye health services should be accessible, available and affordable to everyone.
- Awareness – inviting everyone to learn more about vision impairment and blindness, and the resources that are available.
- Appreciation – celebrating the people who serve, and the individuals who are served by, organizations like Future In Sight.
Randy explains, “We know licensed eye care providers are invaluable partners in preserving your sight as long as possible. We also know that the sooner you add us to the list of resources, once sight loss has taken place, the sooner we can ease the challenges it creates and ensure you continue all the daily activities which bring you joy, success and the life you deserve. My eye doctors preserved some sight in my life 11 years longer than would have been likely otherwise. I used that time to get the training and tools I needed to continue not only living, but thriving, even when my sight was gone. I celebrate my life now, I celebrate those 11 bonus years and I encourage all of you to celebrate your sight (whatever level of sight you may have), all year and with a special focus on World Sight Day.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing vision loss and could benefit from our services, please contact Future In Sight at [email protected] or 603-224-4039.
About the Author: Randy Pierce is the President & CEO of Future In Sight and is 100% blind.