Sight is one of the most valued of the five senses, but good vision doesn’t necessarily indicate good eye health. That’s why VISTAKON Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (JJVCI) has launched a worldwide campaign asking people to “Take the #EyePledge” and promise to get their eyes tested in honor of World Sight Day, October 10. The #EyePledge campaign supports a global call-to-action to “Get Your Eyes Tested” by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), coordinator of World Sight Day.
The #EyePledge includes two simple steps individuals can take to demonstrate their personal commitment to get an eye exam and raise awareness of the broader global cause:
• Take an “eye selfie” photo; and
• Post the photo through the Donate A Photo App by Johnson & Johnson with #EyePledge, or share on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #EyePledge, and promise to get your eyes tested.
To further the impact of an #EyePledge, participants can use the Johnson & Johnson Donate A Photo app to generate contributions to Sight for Kids, a partner program of JJVCI and Lions Clubs International Foundation. For every photo uploaded on behalf of Sight for Kids, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1, up to $30,000*, to help the charity provide eye exams to needy children. Sight for Kids has provided free vision screenings to more than 17 million children in Asia Pacific since 2002. Participants can post up to one photo per day using the app, which is available from the App Store or Google Play.
“Sharing eye photos through Donate A Photo will make a measurable difference in the ability of Sight for Kids to reach more children who may not have access to eyecare,” says Wayne Madden, chairperson of Lions Clubs International Foundation. “Eye correction can be life-changing for many of these children who for the first time may gain clear vision, and in turn, realize their potential.”
Users without smartphones can also demonstrate their commitment to eye health by posting their eye selfie photos and commenting using #EyePledge on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
An eye exam is the first step in diagnosis and treatment of eye-related conditions. Approximately 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired. The leading cause of visual impairment is Uncorrected Refractive Error (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism). While it is a major international public health issue, 80 percent of this visual impairment can be avoided or corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery.
World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and visual impairment. While 90 percent of the world’s visually impaired live in developing countries, there are more than 21 million people in the U.S. age 18 or older who report experiencing vision loss, and approximately one in five school-aged American children have a vision problem.
