World Sight Day

World Sight Day is a global initiative providing an opportunity to raise the profile of the causes of blindness and vision impairment and the preventative measures. It takes place on the second Thursday in October every year.

Included on the official World Health Organisation calendar, World Sight Day is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) under the VISION 2020: The Right to Sight Global Initiative.

The theme of World Sight Day and certain core materials are generated by the IAPB. All events are organised independently by members and supporters.

Vision 2020 Australia organises an event each year for World Sight Day and the Vision Initiative collaborate with partners in Victoria to boost awareness raising activity.

Vision Initiative activity overview

In addition to Vision 2020 Australia activity, the Vision Initiative marks this key date in the eye health calendar with targeted activities across Victoria.

World Sight Day 2009

As one of the key groups at risk of avoidable blindness it is essential that seniors are provided with the information necessary to help them protect their sight as they age. The Vision Initiative took part in several activities during the Victorian Seniors Festival which ran from 4 October to 11 October with a particular emphasis on awareness raising activity on 8 October, World Sight Day (WSD).

Activities for 2009 included:

  • The Save Your Sight – Get Tested television commercial was broadcast as part of a 20 minute loop on the big screen at the festival hub, Melbourne Town Hall as well as on the big screen at Federation Square for the week. The commercial was also broadcast at the start and finish of all movies played as part of the Seniors Film Festival at the Australia Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI).
  • The Vision Initiative ran an information stand in the foyer of ACMI on Wednesday 7 October and Thursday 8 October (WSD). Glasses to simulate the five main eye conditions responsible for preventable blindness were given to movie goers to try during the film. This gave the audience some insight into living with vision impairment. Information sheets on the conditions were also available along with the Save Your Sight – Get Tested brochure. The Vision Initiative team surveyed people as they left the movie to evaluate changes in their eye health awareness as a result of the commercial and information provided.
  • The Vision Initiative – ACT coordinated an eye examination for ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher MLA. The eye test was televised on WIN Canberra Evening News at 6.30 pm on WSD followed by a personal message from the Minister explaining the importance of preventative activity and urging Canberrans to Save Your Sight – Get Tested.

World Sight Day 2008

The Victorian Seniors Festival provides an ideal platform for communicating the Vision Initiative key message Save Your Sight – Get Tested.

Ms Noeline Brown, Ambassador for Ageing launched World Sight Day 2008 at Melbourne Town Hall. Later guide dog in training Kenji and his trainer Mark Fisher joined Noeline Brown on ABC 774 to discuss low vision services in Victoria and the importance of maintaining eye health as people age.

The Vision Initiative and partners coordinated an information stand to provide advice on eye health, low vision services and the Victorian Eyecare Scheme to attendees at the festival.

World Sight Day 2007

The aim for World Sight Day 2007 was to deliver prevention messages broadly across Australia to ensure that the community was aware of the importance of a regular eye examination to prevent avoidable blindness and vision loss.

In Victoria, prevention messages featured:

  • in five regional and five suburban newspapers reaching more than 830,000 readers
  • on WIN, Shepparton Evening News reaching nearly 58,000 viewers in North Eastern Victoria
  • on 9am with David and Kim reached a viewing audience of over 1.9 million nationally, including all viewers in Victoria at the time.

To support these messages community events were delivered across Victoria by Vision 2020 Australia members including:

  • a general eye health clinic for children, run by The Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)
  • Guide Dogs Victoria launched a new children’s book titled Look out Marcus at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne
  • the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH) launched an activity kit developed to support children through their hospital experience.