CLI and United Opticians Association to Co-Produce OptiCon ’26 Panel on Contact Lens Care

Monday, January 19 2026 | 11 h 06 min | News

Contact Lens Institute™ (CLI) and the United Opticians Association (UOA) have announced a new collaboration to co-produce an educational panel focused on opticianry’s role in contact lens practice and patient success.

Titled Vision for Growth: Consumer Perspectives on Opticianry & Contact Lens Success, the panel will be exclusive to OptiCon ’26 @ Vision Expo, with sessions scheduled for Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13, 2026.

As part of the partnership, CLI will center its Spring 2026 See Tomorrow initiative on the opticianry profession. The initiative will include newly commissioned research involving U.S. and Canadian contact lens wearers, along with bespoke research conducted among opticians. Findings will explore patient perceptions, professional roles, and opportunities for growth within contact lens care.

According to CLI Executive Director Stan Rogaski, prior research has highlighted the importance of opticians in shaping the contact lens patient experience as part of the broader eye care ecosystem. The new data, he said, is intended to provide insights that could help inform both market growth and practice success.

UOA Executive Director Gwen Cooper noted that the collaboration builds on the organization’s recent work examining consumer perceptions of opticians. She added that the upcoming panel is expected to deliver both strategic insights and practical takeaways for professionals attending OptiCon ’26.

Both sessions will be moderated by Andrew Bruce, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FCLSA of ASB Opticianry Education Services. Additional panel participants will be announced in the coming days.

Registration for OptiCon ’26 @ Vision Expo is now open.

Click HERE for the full press release.

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