This World Sight Day, Essilor, whose mission is to improve lives by improving sight, has launched a series of events around the world to raise public awareness of the importance of good vision.

On 9 October, World Sight Day, the Essilor Group is organizing events in some fifty countries around the world to raise public awareness and help improve lives by improving sight. This call for action has also been shared on social networks through the #bettersightbetterlife campaign which has touched close to 300,000 people worldwide.

Raising awareness of the need for good vision: a global commitment

Because awareness is the first vital step towards combating poor vision, Essilor has organized sight tests in the street, shopping malls, train stations, schools and other public places around the world, from India and the United States to Croatia, Australia and Thailand.
In India, a “walkathon” organized in Delhi and Bangalore saw hundreds of people walk through the streets to draw attention to the importance of vision. In New Zealand, a fundraising event has been organized to combat age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In Slovakia, a bus visited towns and villages to spread the message across local communities, while in Argentina, children will enjoy a variety of awareness-raising events.

Under the impulse of the Essilor Vision Foundation and in partnership with the Lions Club, Essilor’s volunteer staff members in France also took part in a series of educational awareness programs, as well as sight tests in 180 French towns and cities. In the United States, Essilor Vision Foundation and Kids Vision for Life are partnering with Special Olympics and the Opening Eyes Program to provide vision services to up to 75 Special Olympics athletes at the Essilor campus in Dallas.

“Given our mission of improving lives by improving sight, World Sight Day is a vital event. Everyone needs to realize how important vision is in their daily lives,” explains Hubert Sagnières, Chairman and CEO of the Essilor Group. “That’s why, every year, Essilor takes action across the world to draw people’s attention on the world’s most common disability: poor vision.”