From April 23 to 25, 2022, the 100% Optical exhibition was held in London. On April 23, STRUKTUR eyewear won the award for the unisex model of the year at the Love Eyewear Award ceremony.

The SINGER Under the Spotlight

Entered in the “Unisex frame of the year” category, STRUKTUR caused a sensation with the London jury. Alongside four other brands, the Norman manufacturer distinguished one of its flagship frames: The SINGER. Created by the designer Thierry Bonhomme, this model represented the brand in three emblematic colours: Litchi, Green Mat and Lemon Mat. This was a first participation in the London show for STRUKTUR.

An Outstanding Model

Available in the STRUKTUR collection since the last year, this frame is composed of a matte acetate face and titanium temples. A combination that brings lightness and comfort to the wearer. The SINGER represents the masculine-feminine tendency very well.

Click HERE for the full press release.

OS-9331’s blue gradient acetate front was inspired by the glamorous Spring/Summer 2022’s “Twilight in the Tropics” theme. A combination of acetate and Gold-coloured metal layer along the top rim.

Metal wrapping seamlessly integrates around the temple endpieces, top rim and bridge. No exception to the Izumi collection, OS-9331’s temple tips present the brand’s signature shape.

Distributed by: www.westgroupe.com

After the break due to the pandemic, the optical industry had some catching up to do at opti held in Munich from May 13 to 15, 2022.

Around 13,000 visitors from 71 countries did not miss the opportunity to attend the spring opti. According to the visitor survey, the objective of close to three quarters of trade visitors was to exchange ideas with industry colleagues and to initiate business relationships.

Dieter Dohr, Chairman of the opti organiser GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen, said about the special edition: “The opti 2022 is first and foremost an emotional experience. Finally, a trade show again! The conditions were not easy, and we are delighted to see how many have deliberately chosen the May edition. Visitors, exhibitors, trade show specialists – the focus was on bringing together all the stakeholders in opti and conducting exchanges between everyone.”

368 exhibitors from 25 countries used the opti as an opportunity to present collections, products and services, to get feedback and a sense of current market needs.

Throughout the four halls of the opti, the exchanges were clearly noticeable. Getting hands on innovative glasses designs, experiencing the latest technology, understanding trends and their full implications.

Looking forward to the next opti in January 2023.

Click HERE for the full press release.

A Joint Letter by Fighting Blindness Canada, the Canadian Association of Optometrists and Canadian Ophthalmological Society

The Government of Canada must keep its long-overdue promise and develop a Vision Health Plan for Canada. In 2003, the Canadian government made a commitment for the first time to the World Health Organization (WHO) that it would develop a Vision Health Plan for Canada by 2007 and implement this plan by 2009. To date, no plan has been developed.

As recently as July 2021, the Government of Canada voted in the UN General Assembly for the first agreement to be adopted at the United Nations designed to tackle preventable sight loss and enshrine eye health as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. In this resolution, the establishment of a national vision health plan was endorsed again by Canada.

The key to a Vision Health Plan is the establishment of a Vision Health Desk.

The Benefits of a Vision Desk Health at Public Health Agency of Canada

Maintaining good vision is a vital part of overall health and quality of life. The impact of vision loss on an individual is enormous from both physical and mental health perspectives. In fact, 80% of Canadians report that losing their vision is their most feared disability. In a 2019 assessment of vision loss in Canada, Deloitte Access Economics found that vision loss and blindness affect 1.2 million Canadians, or 3.2% of the Canadian population, at a cost of $32.9B. It is a critical public health issue, that has a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. It is for this reason that we are advocating for the establishment of an Office for Vision Health, or Vision Health Desk at the Public Health Agency of Canada.

For many years, optometrists, ophthalmologists, researchers, and patient advocates have been engaged in raising awareness about eye health, vision care and the prevention of blindness among Canadians. The good news is that vision loss can be prevented or treated in 75% of cases. Along with vision partners the Canadian Association of Optometrists, Canadian Ophthalmological Society, and Fighting Blindness Canada have worked collaboratively to advocate for those who need eye health and vision care the most: seniors, children, those with low vision and disabilities, Indigenous people, and low-income families. We are committed to ongoing collaboration and we recognize that our success is limited without the collaboration and leadership of the federal government.

Led by a Chief Eye Health Officer, the Vision Health Desk would work with the healthcare systems within provinces and territories on strategies for eye health, vision care, and the full integration of post-vision loss rehabilitation therapy into the health care continuum. Similar to the existing Dental Desk, the Vision Health Desk would run public education campaigns about eye health issues, serve as a hub for eye health research and encourage collaboration across all activities with provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, health professionals, industry and interested individuals. A Vision Health Desk could also set priorities or coordinate vision research and translate science into health services, similar to the National Eye Institute in the United States. The Vision Health Desk would provide a unifying vision for eye health in Canada through the development of a National Strategy for Action on Eye Health and Vision care.

Leadership from our federal government is required to make this a reality for all Canadians, and a Vision Health Desk represents a positive first step in that direction.

Click HERE for the press release.