Optometry Giving Sight’s Pamela Capaldi (l) with Diane Charles, Foundation Chair, Vision of Hope, Opticians Association of America, at the signing of the partnership agreement.
DENVER, Colo.—The Opticians Association of America (OAA) announced their supporting partnership with Optometry Giving Sight at the recent OAA Leadership Forum held earlier this year in Orlando, Fla. The collaboration aims to create synergies in support of global efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020 in order to give all people the right to sight, according to an announcement from Optometry Giving Sight.

“We are delighted to enter into this partnership with Optometry Giving Sight,” said Diane Charles, Foundation Chair. “The Vision of Hope Foundation was created to ensure that OAA members can play a role in providing vision care to people in need and we welcome the opportunity to support the implementation of sustainable vision care programs in coordination with Optometry and other eyecare professionals.”

As part of the partnership, OAA opticians will participate in sustainable vision care projects and share their knowledge and skills with people in underserved communities. They will also be asked to participate in the World Sight Day Challenge each October to raise funds for Optometry Giving Sight.

“We welcome the support of the Vision of Hope Foundation and look forward to working with them to mobilize both the financial and human resources needed to eliminate the backlog of refractive error blindness and impaired vision,” said Clive Miller, Global CEO, Optometry Giving Sight.

Optometry Giving Sight is the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error. Optometry Giving Sight funds the development of sustainable eye and vision care projects in communities where these do not currently exist.

Vision of Hope Foundation was formed in 2011 by the Opticians Association of America to promote opticianry education, develop future opticianry leaders, and perform international, national and community based vision related field work. ■

mkane@jobson.com