Activities
World Sight Day Working Group
The World Sight Day Working Group is made up of marketing and communication representatives from 22 member organisations. Member activity includes issuing media releases, a variety of fundraising events on the day and the development of articles to be featured in member publications and community media.
In 2011, the following members that undertook activities on the day include:
- Association for the Blind WA featured World Sight Day on their website with background information. They celebrated their Open Day on Saturday 22 October at which they featured an eye health message.
- Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) featured a story on their website; CERA (in collaboration with the BVA) hosted a lecture by Prof Mark Blumenkranz MD about the Stanford Artificial Vision Project and The Macular Research Foundation announced their inaugural research grants of which CERA was a recipient. The announcement was made by the Governor General, Ms Quentin Bryce at Admiralty House in Sydney. Two CERA participants travelled to Sydney to receive the awards.
- Guide Dogs Association of SA.NT celebrated International White Cane Day a day early on 14 October, combining the two events. Their key message was prevention, targeting community based media.
- Guide Dogs Victoria participated in the Vision Initiative pic opp, providing puppies in training.
- Macular Degeneration Foundation announced their first ever MD Foundation research grant winners on World Sight Day.
- Optometrists Association Australia (National) distributed WSD collateral to their members, distributed the Vision 2020 Australia tailored media release and included a feature article on World Sight Day in the Australian Optometry newspaper and the Association eNewsletter. They also promoted the day via the Association website in the form of a web tile advertisement, information and downloadable media release template, and hosted an internal lunch to raise funds.
- Optometrists Association Australia (Vic) attended the Optometrists Association Australia National celebrations on the day.
- Optometry Giving Sight – ran the World Sight Day Challenge during the month of October, invited members of the optical industry to take part by organising fundraising activities with their staff. Undertook worldwide activity. Distributed a worldwide media release and trade advertisement.
- Queensland Vision Initiative promoted awareness of eye disease at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital from October 10-14. Special guest appearances by Guide Dogs ‘Bree’ and ‘Tom’ were extremely popular. Information from Vision 2020 Australia, Guide Dogs Queensland, Glaucoma Australia, Macular Degeneration Foundation, Orthoptics Australia, Optometrists Association Australia, Vision Australia, LifeTec, Queensland Narrating Service, Queensland Blind Association, Retina Australia Queensland, Blind Citizens Australia and the Federal Government were distributed - alongside fun promotional items such as stress carrots, crayons, magnifiers, lens cloths, stencils, stickers, bookmarks, balloons, jelly beans and a Glaucoma Australia owl. Many enquiries were received regarding eye conditions and the relevant information provided.
- Royal Guide Dogs Association of Tasmania featured a one page World Sight Day article in the August edition of Insight magazine.
- Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital launched their Quality of Care magazine and had a patient, Neslihan Sari and her family with the Hon David Davis MLC at the hospital to hear Neslihan’s story.
- The Fred Hollows Foundation organised a live link-up between ABC Radio Canberra (666) and the Foundation’s Andy Nilsen who was out in the field in Bangladesh. The Fred Hollows Foundation spokesperson Andy Nilsen joined the program from Bangladesh to discuss their work to protect and restore people's sight around the world.
- Vision Australia posted an article on their website about World Sight Day and an interview with CEO Gerard Menses aired on Vision Australia Radio.