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January 29, 2021January 29, 2021

Bank of Canada Donates 650 Smartphones to Canadians with Sight Loss

The Bank of Canada is donating 650 of its gently used smartphones to Canadians with sight loss through CNIB’s Phone It Forward program.

Phone it Forward refurbishes modern, gently used smartphones, loads them with accessible apps, and puts them directly into the hands of Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. The program also provides recipients with technology training.

“This is so much more than a green initiative aimed at reusing smartphones, it’s about putting accessible technology and a powerful tool in the hands of Canadians with sight loss,” said Maureen Carroll, Bank of Canada’s Managing Director, Currency.

Sixty-one per cent of Canadians with sight loss use a smartphone in their daily activities, according to CNIB’s 2020 Technology Use Survey.

Phone It Forward recipients learn about accessible apps that can enhance independence, such as travelling with GPS, taking the proper dosage of medication, identifying colours and faces, reading printed text, accessing live video assistance from a sighted volunteer, and dozens of other day-to-day tasks that may have seemed challenging before.

“The Bank of Canada’s generosity will go a long way towards revolutionizing daily life for hundreds of individuals who are blind. For many of the recipients, a smartphone would have been out of reach,” said John M. Rafferty, CNIB’s President and CEO. “CNIB challenges other Canadian businesses and corporations to follow the Bank of Canada’s footsteps and donate their gently used smartphones to change the lives of Canadians with sight loss.”

To donate your smartphone, make a financial donation or learn more, visit phoneitforward.ca.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Organizers of Vision Expo Announce that VEE 2021 to Take Place in June in Orlando

The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, announced that Vision Expo East 2021, originally scheduled to take place at the Javits Center in New York City from May 25–28, 2021, will now take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from June 2–5, 2021. The Show’s educational program, together with OptiCon®@Vision Expo, will open Wednesday, June 2 and exhibits will open Thursday, June 3. The decision was based on the current restrictions on large gatherings in New York State and the successful track record of previous events held at the Orange County Convention Center.

“It is our mission and responsibility to the vision care community to provide a platform to effectively show products and conduct business,” said Mitch Barkley, Vice President of Trade Shows and Meetings at The Vision Council. “With strict limitations on large gatherings still in place in New York, we wanted to find a suitable location that would allow us to provide the exceptional Vision Expo experience that the community needs and deserves.”

The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions selected the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) as the new host site with the safety and wellbeing of all Vision Expo attendees in mind. The OCCC has strict health and safety precautions in place, as well as upholding all nationally recommended precautions, including mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing. Additionally, the OCCC is part of a first of its kind collaboration between Orlando Health and Visit Orlando, which provides convention groups with personalized medical planning and support. The OCCC was one of the first convention centers in the nation to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s GBAC STAR™ accreditation, which is designed to help facilities establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention, and is widely recognized as the gold standard of safe and prepared venues. The Orlando International Airport holds the same accreditation.

Additional information on Vision Expo East 2021 will be announced soon, along with registration details.

Source: Vision Expo

Ignasi Monreal X Etnia Barcelona

Famous for his collaboration with Gucci, Bulgari and artists like Dua Lipa, Ignasi Monreal’s eyewear reflects his inspiring imagination. Etnia Barcelona, as always inspired by the world of art and cultural movements, presents an exclusive collection. The extra eyes or “peripheral vision,” on the temples are a play on the fantasy of never missing any source of inspiration. Infusing the past and future with elements of pop culture, this collector’s item is crafted in natural Mazzucchelli acetate and features Barberini mineral glass lenses.

Featured model: Ignasi-53S

www.etniabarcelona.com

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021

CooperVision Announces 5 mm BOZD Customization for Paragon CRT and CRT Dual Axis Lenses

CooperVision Specialty EyeCare announced that it has begun offering 5 mm back optic zone diameter (BOZD) customization for Paragon CRT^® and Paragon CRT Dual Axis^® contact lenses. The new option joins several existing customization choices, further expanding myopia management possibilities for eye care professionals.

This latest development comes as clinicians have discussed potential 5 mm BOZD benefits during several conference presentations over the past year. It will be one of the company’s highlights during the 2021 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, where CooperVision, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare, and GP Specialists hosted virtual exhibits.

Maria Liu, OD, PhD, MPH, MBA, FAAO, the founder and Chief of the Myopia Control Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, agrees with her peers’ positive assessments based on her own preliminary investigations. “My experience is that the 5 mm design offers significantly more paracentral steepening compared to a 6 mm zone, which may lead to more efficacy when pursuing myopia management strategies, assuming a dose-depending relationship between the amount of paracentral steepening and ortho-k’s anti-myopia effect,” she said.

“As eye care professionals adopt myopia management as standard of care, we know they’re looking for proven technologies and maximum flexibility,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, President, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare. “Introductions such as 5 mm customization combined with our portfolio of soft contact lenses and ortho-k designs illustrate our far-reaching dedication. In collaboration with an ever-growing number of ECPs, we are building the myopia management category and improving children’s vision worldwide.”

Paragon CRT^® is recommended for patients with <0.75D of corneal astigmatism based on keratometry values. CRT Dual Axis^® is designed for patients with >0.75D of corneal astigmatism based on keratometry values to enhance the cornea-to-fitting relationship.

Click HERE for the full press release.

The Vision Council Appoints Alysse Henkel as Director of Research Data and Analytics

The Vision Council has appointed Alysse Henkel as Director of Research Data and Analytics. In this new position, Henkel will be responsible for leading the development of new data management and statistical analysis systems to enhance The Vision Council’s VisionWatch consumer and ECP panel survey and research programs. Additionally, she will be charged with driving engagement of new technology to streamline The Vision Council’s reporting processes while laying the groundwork for an improved market modeling and consumer insights program.

Henkel’s appointment marks an expansion of The Vision Council’s research team, overseen by Nathan Troxell, Director of Consumer and Market Insights. In her role, Henkel will work alongside Steve Kodey, The Vision Council’s Senior Director of Industry Research.

Henkel holds an undergraduate degree in anthropology, sociology, and German from Lafayette College and a master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University.

“We are excited to welcome Alysse to The Vision Council team,” said Maureen Beddis, Vice President of Marketing and Membership at The Vision Council. “The Vision Council is committed to providing our members and clients with the most cutting-edge optical market research, insights and analysis available, and the addition of Alysse to the team demonstrates our commitment to delivering on this promise and growing our internal research team. Furthermore, Alysse’s breadth of experience and unique perspective will allow us to expand our research capabilities and better serve members and clients with the most timely, useful information they need for their businesses.”

Source: The Vision Council

Bank of Canada Donates 650 Smartphones to Canadians with Sight Loss

Organizers of Vision Expo Announce that VEE 2021 to Take Place in June in Orlando

Ignasi Monreal X Etnia Barcelona

CooperVision Announces 5 mm BOZD Customization for Paragon CRT and CRT Dual Axis Lenses

The Vision Council Appoints Alysse Henkel as Director of Research Data and Analytics

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