Access to Vision Care Helps
Power Essilor Canada’s Mission
With 2.2 million Canadians living with uncorrected vision,
including 600,000 children, Essilor Canada has
committed to providing access to vision care to this
population in conjunction with industry and government
partners. The company’s mission of improving lives by
improving sight can only be achieved if all Canadians have first pair. Since 2003, 21,067 pairs of glasses have been
the clear vision they deserve.
given to children by Essilor Canada through the
program.
The early childhood eye health and vision awareness
program Eye See...Eye Learn® by the Alberta Association Over in Ontario, Essilor Canada is piloting an in-school
of Optometrists (AAO) encourages parents to take their vision care program with the Ottawa–Carleton District
kindergarten-aged children to a doctor of optometry for a School Board and Education Foundation of Ottawa.
comprehensive eye examination. “Our goal is to ensure Statistics show that there are as many as 8,000
that eye health or vision problems do not prevent children children who require correction yet do not have access
from reaching their full learning potential,” says Dr. Troy to eyeglasses in Ottawa’s school boards alone.
Brady, President, AAO.
The program, called Eyes to As, being developed for the
During a comprehensive exam, if the child requires OCDSB and Education Foundation of Ottawa works as a
glasses, a pair is provided free of charge. This is where the coalition of partners from existing initiatives, working
partnership with Essilor Canada comes to play. “Essilor together to go to each of the identified schools every
Canada provides the lenses and inserts them into the year to make sure that the children who most need
frames free of charge. This program could not have the help in accessing vision care services have the barriers
impact it has if it weren’t for our working partnership with of access removed.
Essilor,” says Dr. Brady. “Together with the AAO we are able
to make a true difference and impact the lives, in a Eyes to As brings trained volunteer vision screeners
positive way, of these kids who otherwise could have from the Lions Club and University of Ottawa medical
gone for months, if not years, without proper eye care,” school’s iScreen interest group into schools identified
says Simon Robert, Essilor Group’s Mission Senior Director. by the Education Foundation as needing help. All of the
children in the school are seen, and for those with
Thanks to the program, 43.3% possible vision issues, parents are notified of a referral
of
kindergarten-aged for an eye exam. An optometrist from the Canadian
children in Alberta are Council of the Blind’s mobile eye clinic initiative then
now
seeing
their visits the school and conducts the comprehensive eye
optometrist vs. 14% when exams, and children needing glasses receive them free
the program began in 2003. of charge from Essilor Canada. To date, 564 children
The program distributed 2,071 from four schools have been screened and 262 have
pairs of glasses last been referred to an optometrist with the majority never
school year and for having seen an optometrist before.
65.7%
of
these
children, it was their
EYE FOCUS | December Digital 2019 23