PLANO, Texas, Oct. 5, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lone Star Vision is participating in the World Sight Day Challenge, an annual day of awareness that focuses global attention on blindness and vision impairment. World Sight Day 2014 will be held on October 9, 2014 and focus on avoidable blindness. An estimated 285 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness, and approximately 80 percent of these cases could be avoided or easily treated. World Sight Day Challenge is raising awareness about the importance of blindness prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization's goal to reduce avoidable blindness by 25% by 2019.
The Lone Star Vision eye care team is working to raise awareness about preventable vision loss and blindness in conjunction with this year's World Sight Day Challenge, a worldwide event dedicated to vision awareness. The doctors are making a personal commitment to the World Sight Day Challenge by contributing $5 to the cause for every eye glass frame sold during the month of October. They encourage other vision professions as well as patients to contribute as well.
Approximately 285 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness. Ninety percent of blind people live in low-income countries, according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), which sponsors World Sight Day. With 80 percent of all visual impairment avoidable (readily treatable or preventable), the restoration of sight and blindness prevention strategies are two of the most cost-effective interventions in public health.
"Good vision is something we take for granted each day," said optometrist Dr. Todd Brantley. "Here in the United States, most people are lucky enough to have access to great eye care. That's not the case in many developing nations, where people lose their vision each year from a lack of affordable, accessible eye care."
The World Sight Day Challenge is the largest global fundraising campaign to address avoidable blindness. Lone Star Vision is a proud supporter of World Sight Day Challenge and has received the Platinum Award two years running in recognition of the practice's commitment to raising funds for those in need. Together with other eye care offices, Lone Star Vision has helped raise over $300,000 to support projects that provide vision treatments, local training, and infrastructure support for people who are blind or visually impaired as the result of an uncorrected refractive error.
"It's amazing the difference that a proper eye exam or pair of glasses can make for individuals who would otherwise be unable to see," said Dr. Olivia Carleo. "The World Sight Day challenge is an important opportunity to bring attention to this issue."
Lone Star Vision is an innovative eye care practice dedicated to excellence in customer service and patient care for the entire family. The practice has locations in Plano and Celina, Texas.