CooperVision, Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) and Special
Olympics have come together to support the Special Olympics Lions Clubs
International Foundation Opening Eyes® program, which aims to strengthen vision
care inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The
organizations have committed $300,000 through 2023 to provide Special Olympics
athletes with high-quality vision and eye health screenings, prescription
eyewear and sports goggles, while also providing improved education and
training for eye care professionals (ECPs) and optometry students so they are
better able to meet the unique needs of this marginalized group.
“Our athletes suffer some of the
lowest access to vision care of any population globally,” said Dr. Alicia
Bazzano, Chief Health Officer, Special Olympics. “Globally, 35% of our Special
Olympics athletes need new prescription glasses and 23% have never even had an
eye exam. Together with CooperVision and Optometry Giving Sight, we are able to
continue to bring the benefits of Opening Eyes around the world and help close
the gap to access to vision care for people with intellectual disabilities.”
Now present in over 90 nations, the Special Olympics
Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® program has helped
strengthen national health systems while creating increased access to care for
individuals with intellectual disabilities, one of the most socially isolated,
at-risk population subsets. Since its founding, Opening Eyes has conducted over
430,000 screenings and provided over 259,000 prescription eyeglasses and sport
goggles to Special Olympics athletes around the world. The program has also
offered practical training opportunities for over 50,000 ECPs and students.
The sponsorship dollars will be used to promote vision care inclusion as part of Special Olympics programming in Kenya, starting in 2021, and in the United States in 2022. As part of the partnership focus, the financial and technical support offered by CooperVision and Optometry Giving Sight will enable vision screenings, training for ECPs and resources for athletes.
In the United States, the partnership will bring the power of the Opening Eyes program to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida, making high-quality vision care a reality for over 2,000 athletes, while delivering clinical training for inclusive vision care to at least 50 ECPs, while supporting additional volunteer opportunities as part of the Opening Eyes program.
Click HERE for the full press release.
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