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April 8, 2020April 3, 2020

Diversity & Inclusive Month Spotlight: HumanWare

HumanWare Inc is the global leader in assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired, and part of the Essilor Group since 2013. Its mission is to empower those with vision loss to fully participate with their sighted peers.

Essilor acquired a majority interest in HumanWare Inc. in 2013 and accelerated its partnership with HumanWare in 2014 to boost investment in research and development to offer new and innovative high-quality products for the 3% of the world population suffering from blindness and low vision.

Who is HumanWare?
For more than 30 years, HumanWare has been developing a wide range of advanced, connected and intelligent devices that help people with vision loss to overcome the digital divide that most of the visually impaired community experience and allow them to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities, achieve higher education and access to jobs in the new economy. Some examples include the BrailleNote Touch Plus, first Google-certified braille tablet, the iOS compatible Brailliant braille displays, Victor Reader^®, and more, all designed to help users stay productive in their daily life.

To date, HumanWare markets its products in 50 countries throughout North America, Europe, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and in certain parts of Asia.

Inclusion: A ‘Raison d’être’
In line with its business which is oriented towards empowering the autonomy of the visually impaired, HumanWare’s efforts to tackle high unemployment rates within the BVI community include:

Targeting to have 10-15% of visually impaired employees.
Launching a successful internship program to provide training and work experience to visually impaired students.

By leveraging innovation, the company aims to bring the latest advanced technology for disability inclusion:

HumanWare has its R&D hub based in Montréal, a world leading center of excellence for cutting-edge research in areas such as Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence.
Thanks to a partnership with MILA (Quebec’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence), HumanWare is leading research into new ways and products which will improve the lives of people with visual impairment in the future.

Last October, the Quebec Technology Association named HumanWare SME of the year 2019 for its innovation in the tech industry.

For more information about the solutions available for low vision, visit https://www.essilor.com/en/brands-and-solutions/for-low-vision/.

Click HERE for the full press release.

April 7, 2020April 7, 2020

Hoya Launches Recovery Program to Support ECPs Through Impact of COVID-19

HOYA Vision Care Canada announces the launch of the HOYA CARES program and action plan offered to independent eye care professionals (ECPs) to support them through various stages of the COVID-19 impact.

The program includes toolbox packages with online educational webinars, checklists and guides about how to make it through the struggles of having to close a practice, open back up for business and sustain their operations when things return to normal. HOYA has offered extended payment terms, extended warranties and other programs to help ECPs across Canada in addition to the toolbox options.

As the Ally of the Independent, HOYA is devoted to assisting their business partners in getting back on their feet as quickly as possible. The “HOYA Cares” program provides various tools and incentives to strengthen the infrastructure of each practice and help bring patients back as quickly as possible regardless of the situation the national pandemic has left them in.

“Eye Care Professionals are facing financial difficulties and have incurred massive losses, not to mention having to lay off staff to keep the business afloat in the long-term. These factors alone are enough to add stress and worry to any practice owner, without concerning themselves with the need for using this time to plan ahead. We can and will help any Independent ECP who needs it!” said Ahmos Henry, President of HOYA Vision Care Canada.

HOYA Vision Care Canada is dedicated to supporting Independent ECPs in any way that they can.

Click HERE for the full press release.

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

Keeping Remote Associates Engaged and Motivated

Nava Sarooshi, President of MDP Corporation, lays out a prescription for keeping practice associates engaged and motivated under the constraining circumstances of COVID-19 closures and stay-at-home directives.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR.

Sarooshi advises owners consider their practice culture and above all, ensure that practice leaders remain authentic to their own style and remain calm. She lays out a specific plan-o-gram of Monday – Friday activities from which practice owners can choose to implement. Saroochi emphazises that consideration must be given to the various ages and stages of practice associates in choosing which activities will be most effective.

Her message, “Don’t underestimate how you can strengthen your team’s coherence and culture! Don’t be afraid to share your anxieties, hopes and dreams.”

April 3, 2020May 19, 2026

Eschenbach and CNIB Foundation Partnership Announced

Eschenbach Optik of America Inc. has signed a new partnership agreement with the CNIB Foundation, Canada’s largest non-profit serving people with sight loss.

Through this partnership, people with sight loss across Canada will have increased access to Eschenbach’s wide range of video magnification solutions through all of the CNIB Foundation’s enterprises, including Shop CNIB, Frontier Accessibility and its affiliate organization, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada.

In this partnership, Eschenbach expands on its vast eye care professional distribution network and increases the accessibility of its products to a wider range of individuals with sight loss including students and employees in the workforce, a client base the CNIB specializes in serving. Through the partnership, The CNIB Foundation becomes the exclusive supplier of all Eschenbach video magnifier products in select distribution channels in Canada including education, commercial entities, and select government organizations among others. The new partnership applies to all CNIB Foundation locations across the country. Eschenbach will continue working directly with optometry, ophthalmology and opticianry customers, as well as the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), in Quebec.

“This partnership marks an exciting time for both of our organizations and for the people we serve. The CNIB Foundation’s long history and commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the community makes them well positioned to meet the needs of Canadians with sight loss,” says Ken Bradley, President and CEO of Eschenbach Optik of America, Inc.

“Throughout our long history of working closely together, Eschenbach has always demonstrated their passion for delivering outstanding, innovative products and services,” says John M. Rafferty, President of CNIB. “We are thrilled that our organizations will continue to work together to ensure that Canadians with sight loss have access to the high-quality magnification solutions that Eschenbach delivers.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

April 3, 2020April 3, 2020

Smith Supports Goggles for Docs

Safilo Group announces that its own Smith brand has joined Goggles for Docs, a movement to support local and national personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages across the US. Smith will provide ski goggles to healthcare workers who currently have no eyewear protection while treating patients in the wake of COVID-19.

The Goggles for Docs program materialized in just a few days to support hospital need, and is based solely on volunteer support and product donation. Smith is currently sending new and used goggles to fulfill hospital requests, and will continue to promote the program, encouraging its community to volunteer and donate on the individual level.

Click HERE for the full press release.